COLOMBO: Sri Lanka said on Tuesday a call to ban the wearing of the burqa was “merely a proposal”, following criticism from regional allies, including Pakistan, ahead of a crucial United Nations vote on human rights in the island nation.
Sri Lanka’s minister for public security, Sarath Weerasekera, said on Saturday it would “definitely” ban the full face covering worn by some Muslim women on national security grounds, pending cabinet approval.
But the foreign ministry said on Tuesday a decision had not yet been taken on what it described as “merely a proposal... under discussion”.
“The government will initiate a broader dialogue with all parties concerned and sufficient time will be taken for necessary consultations to be held and for consensus to be reached,” it said in a statement.
Muslims make up around a tenth of the population in majority-Buddhist Sri Lanka.
The statement follows criticism from Pakistan’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, Saad Kattak, who said in a tweet on Monday a ban “will only serve as injury to the feelings of ordinary Sri Lankan Muslims and Muslims across the globe”.
Ahmed Shaheed, a Maldivian diplomat currently serving as the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, said a ban was incompatible with international laws that protect religious belief and freedom of expression.
Several Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, are among the 47 nations that will vote on Sri Lanka’s human rights record at a United Nations session in Geneva next week.
A UN resolution passed against Sri Lanka could allow for prosecutions of government and military officials involved in ending a decades-long civil war in 2009, and Colombo is sensitive to anything that may impact voting there, according to a person familiar with the developments.
Almost a third of the 47 nations are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which last year criticized a Sri Lankan policy to forcibly cremate coronavirus victims in the country, in violation of the Islamic tradition of burial.
The policy was repealed last month.
Burqa ban just a ‘proposal’, Sri Lanka says after criticism from Pakistan, allies
https://arab.news/922sc
Burqa ban just a ‘proposal’, Sri Lanka says after criticism from Pakistan, allies
- Top Sri Lankan minister had said last week the island nation would “definitely” ban the full face covering on national security grounds
- Sri Lankan foreign ministry says decision not yet final, proposal would be discussed with “all parties concerned”
Pakistan okays Bangladesh’s Biman to begin Dhaka-Karachi flights as ties warm up
- Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war
- Ties between both nations have warmed up since ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina, viewed as an India ally
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has granted Bangladesh’s national carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, permission to begin flight operations between Dhaka and Karachi, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said on Friday, amid strengthening ties between the two countries.
Pakistan and Bangladesh used to be one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since the fall of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was widely viewed as close to India and critical of Pakistan, following a student-led uprising in August 2024.
Islamabad has attempted to forge closer ties with Dhaka in recent months after the two South Asian nations began sea trade in late 2024, which were followed by efforts to expand government-to-government commerce.
“Pakistan has granted Biman, the national flag carrier of Bangladesh, initial permission for three months up to March 26 to operate flights between Dhaka and Karachi,” a PCAA spokesperson told Arab News, adding that the duration could be extended.
The approval marks a significant step in restoring direct air connectivity between the two nations.
In Nov. last year, the now-privatized Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said it had signed a cargo agreement with Biman, aimed at streamlining air freight operations and boosting bilateral trade.
A PIA spokesperson said the agreement was part of PIA’s strategy to expand its cargo business and offer more competitive services to customers.
Pakistan has stepped up efforts to rebuild relations with Bangladesh as ties between Dhaka and New Delhi remain strained over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina after she fled the country.
In Feb. 2025, a cargo vessel sailed directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh for the first time in decades and successfully unloaded containers, port officials said.
The two countries signed six agreements last August, covering areas such as visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders, trade cooperation, media collaboration and cultural exchanges, officials said.
Separately, Islamabad allowed Britain’s Norse Atlantic to operate flights to the South Asian country, the Pakistani defense minister announced late Thursday. The airline will operate direct flights from London, Manchester and Birmingham to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
“The increase in operations of international airlines to Pakistan will promote a competitive environment leading to world class service and balance in fares,” Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on X.
