Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: After hanging of Motiur Rahman Nizami, leader of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bangladesh have entered into a diplomatic tussle and both the countries have summoned the top diplomats of either country to protest.

Pakistan strongly condemned the hanging Motiur Rahman Nizami and termed judicially flawed trial. Bangladesh summoned Pakistani High Commissioner and lodged protest on Pakistani statements while Pakistan has also summoned, Najmul Huda Acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh and lodged strong protest at the unfortunate hanging of Nizami.

Since 2013 five opposition politicians, including four Jamaat-e-Islami leaders were convicted by the tribunal and then executed. After, these incident relations between both the countries were affected. Experts believe that both the countries, especially Bangladesh should show restraint.

On other side, International human rights groups Amnesty International and others have termed the tribunal’s proceedings short of international standards.

Aziz Ahmad Khan, Former Pakistani career diplomat told Daily Times, that Bangladesh presently chose wrong path and rather burry the past, opening new Pandora box. He said with the hanging of Nazami relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan badly affected. Khan said earlier both the countries forwarding their relations but in last two three years Bangladesh.

He suggested that people of the two countries want better relations with each other, saying both countries have a lot of potential for enhancing trade. Now, both countries need to take steps for betterment of relations with each other. Dr. Ahmad Rashid Malik, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) said that with the current actions of the Bangladesh, the diplomatic relations between both the countries have badly affected. He said that the way Bangladesh is hanging the political activists the diplomatic relations of the two may further deteriorate.

He said Nizami was elected in Bangladesh parliament in the past. If, these religious groups not given the space, Bangladeshi society will more badly suffer from it. “They think by taking such harsh steps fundamentalists will decrease. But, I think it will further increase and polarization will also increase” Dr. Malik maintained. He said international community and human rights organization should also take notice of it.

Dr. Malik said that the Bangladesh present steps are violation of 1974 Tripartite Agreement, which was signed among Pakistan-Bangladesh and India.