Reports Highlight Pakistan’s Contradictory Stance on Uyghur Issue Following 2018 China Meeting

Media reports and subsequent statements by Pakistani officials have drawn attention to Pakistan’s handling of concerns related to the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

An article published on Eurasiareview.com sheds light on the economically-motivated silence of Pakistan on the situation of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

In September 2018, Pakistani media reported that then-Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri had raised concerns about restrictions on Uyghur Muslims during a meeting with China’s ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing. According to The Nation newspaper, Qadri told the Chinese envoy that imposing strict laws on Uyghur Muslims could exacerbate extremism rather than counter it, and urged patience to promote religious harmony.

The reported remarks came shortly after the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination stated that members of the Uyghur minority and other Muslims in Xinjiang were being treated as enemies of the state based on their ethno-religious identity.

However, Qadri later denied discussing the Uyghur issue. In comments to Arab News, he said the meeting focused on an exchange programme for Muslim scholars between Pakistan and China, and that the Xinjiang situation was not raised.

Pakistan’s broader position on the issue has been shaped by its close ties with China. In a 2021 interview, former Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan accepted China’s version of events in Xinjiang due to the proximity of bilateral relations.

A 2022 report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project and the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs stated that Pakistan had cooperated with Chinese authorities since the late 1990s in the arrest and extradition of Uyghur individuals. Other analysts and reports have noted Pakistan’s support for China in international forums, including during the 2022 Winter Olympics.

In March 2019, Khan told the Financial Times he had limited knowledge of the issue, despite widespread reporting in Pakistani media at the time, including coverage of cases involving Uyghur wives of Pakistani nationals.

Pakistan has also co-sponsored UN initiatives on combating Islamophobia, alongside China, a point frequently cited in discussions on Islamabad’s approach to the Uyghur issue.