Foreign minister Dipu Moni on Sunday told a Pakistan minister that Islamabad should try its own war criminals for crimes in 1971 to "fulfil its international obligations".

Dipu Moni, now in Damascus to attend the 36th council of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, made the call when Pakistan's state minister for foreign affairs Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan saw her on the sidelines of the meeting, according to a statement received from the Syrian capital on Sunday.

She told Khan that Bangladesh would try the war criminals as per the "internationally accepted legal standards".

This is the second time the foreign minister has urged Pakistan to try the genocide committed by its military and collaborators during Bangladesh's war of independence from Pakistan.

On May 12, Dipu Moni told high commissioner Alamgir Babar in Dhaka that Pakistan should make a formal apology for the killings of 30 million and rape and torture of 300,000 women and children.

A Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson last week turned down Dhaka's call.

"In course of discussion Dipu Moni mentioned that as a pledge to the people of Bangladesh, the government will pursue the trial of the war criminals in Bangladesh according to internationally accepted legal standards and norms," the statement said.

It said the trial would be conducted impartially in a transparent way "without any victor's vengeance".

"She (Dipu Moni) commented that it was up to Pakistan itself to fulfil its international obligations by trying its own war criminals," the statement added.

Trying the war criminals is one of the election pledges of the newly elected Awami League government. Bangladesh parliament on Jan. 29 adopted a resolution for speedy trial of the war criminals.

Dipu Moni also inquired about the latest situation in Swat valley where Pakistan army had been carrying all-out military offensive against Taliban fighting for setting up Islamic laws.

She expressed sympathies for the displaced persons in the affected regions.

She hoped Pakistan would overcome all these difficulties and life return to normal, the statement said.

The foreign minister also saw Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zaberi, Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh, foreign minister of the Philippines Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo, foreign minister of Bahrain Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, Oman's foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah and Sri Lankan deputy minister for foreign affairs Hussein Bhaila

She expressed deep sympathies for the victims of the military operation against the Tamil Tiger rebels.

She told the Sri Lankan minister that "with the end to the conflict now peace and harmony would be attained which would pave the way for development".

Source: bdnews24.com

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