PM Imran Urges Pakistani Americans to Counter Indian Lobby & Raise Their Voice for Muslims
Peshawar: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday urged the members of APPNA (Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America) to double down and ramp up their efforts to counter the Indian lobby in the US.
He urged them to raise their voice for Muslims "suffering in Kashmir and India at the hands of the RSS-led BJP government".
The premier's request came during a winter meeting of the medical association held in Peshawar.
He said APPNA is the most powerful and influential Pakistani group overseas. "You are the most educated, with the most awareness."
The premier said that the Pakistan government not only wishes to have an institutional arrangement with APPNA but to have them lobby for the country.
"India's lobby in America right now is far more powerful than Pakistan's. India's point of view always overshadows that of Pakistan and American policies for Pakistan are affected by that viewpoint," he explained.
"What India is doing right now in Kashmir and with Muslims [in India] is in violation of all humanitarian laws and international laws. In the 21st century, we are witnessing a fascist, racist government.
"The programs they are bringing in are identical to those in Hitler's Nazi Germany when they committed genocide of the Jews. The same pattern is being followed by the RSS-led BJP government in India," said PM Imran.
He informed that while the Pakistan government has been trying to raise awareness in America on this issue, the APPNA group will prove instrumental in furthering the cause.
"Raise your voice for Kashmiris who have been suffering for five months in an open prison and not only for that but for the change in demography which is considered a war crime."
The premier said that the Citizenship Amendment Act in India also poses a danger and there is a need for Pakistani Americans to highlight it. "Even enlightened Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Parsis have stood up against an Act whose purpose it is to target Muslims," he said.
"I don't think you realize your lobbying strength. It is under-utilized," added the premier, urging the group to take advantage of their position in the US.
He warned of India undertaking a false-flag operation in Azad Kashmir to draw attention away from their actions which had for the first time been met with international criticism.
He urged APPNA to begin raising its voice because the "situation in India will further deteriorate".
"Once this demon is out of the bottle, it will never go back in. This is what history has shown us. When a movement is launched based on hatred [...] the Nazi Party created a Jew register before their genocide and in Myanmar, Muslims were asked to register," he said, calling to attention similar moves being made by India.
"To counter where all this is headed, you must be prepared beforehand and lobby with full force."
'Corrupt status quo': The premier also spoke of the government's efforts to tackle the strong resistance to change that was being put up by those who wish for the "old, corrupt ways" to remain. He underscored the importance of reforms with which a much-needed qualitative change will be brought to institutions.
"Quality is of extreme importance in Pakistan. Unfortunately, our institutional collapse is due to the fact that our quality has declined when it comes to our educational institutions and hospitals."
He said that was the reason why hospital reforms were being brought in so that quality standards comparable to healthcare institutions abroad can be duplicated in Pakistan.
He regretted that the efforts for reform had been met with a lot of resistance by the status quo forces. "The status quo or mafia which derives benefit from the old, corrupt system, creates hurdles everywhere."
PM Imran said they dub the reforms as privatization knowing full well that is not the case. "They purposely do it to sway public opinion and to mobilize people for demonstrations and to sabotage our efforts."
He said due to an overall "decay in the system" it was impossible to find quality healthcare in government hospitals.
"The hospitals have fallen under bureaucratic control and [the bureaucrats] have no idea of what the administrative structure of a modern hospital is."
The prime minister said with the reforms being brought in Punjab and KP, the aim is to make government hospitals compete with private hospitals.
"We are not privatizing. The management structure of private hospitals will be implemented in government hospitals so the common man can avail good quality treatment."
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