Pakistan's concern over plight of Rohingya Muslims worries India

NEW DELHI: With Pakistan recently sponsoring a UN resolution expressing "serious concern" over the "plight" of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state of Myanmar, India is worried that Pakistan-based jehadi outfits like Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) will be further emboldened to radicalize the community and train its members for carrying out terrorist activities in Myanmar and elsewhere.

Pakistan has, for some time now, been gathering support, both domestically and internationally, for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. "ISI-backed terror outfits have been hobnobbing with Rohingya community leaders and organizing jehadi training along Bangladesh-Myanmar border," a senior Indian intelligence official said adding that Islamabad's open support to Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar comes hand-in-hand with its attempts to improve relations at the government level. "This is another instance of classic double speak that Pakistan is well known for," commented the officer.

Earlier this month, on July 3, Pakistan, in a bid to embarrass Myanmar, sponsored a resolution at the 29th session of the UN Human Rights Council, condemning "all violations and abuses of human rights in Myanmar, in particular against Rohingya Muslims". It called upon Myanmar government to ensure protection of the community and take necessary measures to ensure accountability by undertaking transparent and independent investigation into human rights violations by it.

The resolution urged Myanmar to protect places of worship, ensure return of refugees, grant full citizenship rights to Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, and allow full access of humanitarian assistance to affected persons and communities.

The sponsorship of the above resolution by Pakistan, castigating Myanmar, is not an isolated event. Pakistan-based terror outfits like LeT, JuD and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FiF) have all been known for their deep links with Rohingya Muslims.

In 2012, JuD had organized a 'Difa e Musalman Arakan Conference' in Karachi to mobilize its cadres for anti-Myanmar campaign. JuD chairman and 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Muhammad Sayeed shared the dais with Maulana Abdus Qudus Burmi, chief of Harkat-ud-Jihad Islami, Arakan, and Noor Hussain Arakani ( Rohinya Solidarity Organisation). Shortly after, a JuD team visited Bangladesh-Myanmar border to set up training camps for Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar.

FIF vice-chairman Shahid Mehmood had in 201, along with JuD spokesperson (Sind) Nadeem Awan, visited the Bangladesh-Myanmar border to assess the condition of Rohingya Muslims. Though FIF was engaged in extensive activities among Rohingya Muslims displaced to Bangladesh, agencies here believe its cadres were working to radicalize the community and impart terror training in the garb of relief and rehabilitation work.