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The policy was repealed last month.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”
Pakistani president arrives in Iraq to deepen trade, energy cooperation
- Visit follows recent high-level contacts as Islamabad seeks to expand limited commercial ties with Baghdad
- Talks are expected to cover investment, manpower and facilitation of Pakistani pilgrims visiting holy sites in Iraq
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Iraq on Saturday on an official visit aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, energy and investment, as Pakistan seeks to deepen ties with Baghdad after years of limited engagement.
Pakistan and Iraq established diplomatic relations in 1947 and have traditionally maintained cordial ties, though commercial links remain modest, with officials and business groups identifying scope for cooperation in construction services, pharmaceuticals, manpower and agricultural exports.
“President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Baghdad on a four-day official visit to Iraq,” his office said in a post on X. “He was received by Culture Minister Dr. Ahmed Fakkak Al-Badrani. During the visit, meetings with senior Iraqi leadership are expected to advance cooperation and further strengthen Pakistan-Iraq relations.”
Zardari’s visit follows a series of recent high-level contacts between the two countries, reflecting efforts to broaden bilateral engagement beyond traditional diplomatic ties and explore collaboration across economic, political and people-to-people domains.
According to Pakistan’s foreign office, the president is expected to hold meetings with Iraq’s senior leadership to discuss cooperation in various areas such as trade and investment, energy, technology, education and manpower.
He is also expected to discuss regional and international issues with Iraqi officials.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Ameer Al-Shammari, on the sidelines of meetings in Brussels, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on security and facilitate travel for Pakistani Shia pilgrims to Najaf and Karbala.
The two officials discussed measures to ensure the smoother movement of these pilgrims and their compliance with visa regulations.
