BY: FT Correspondent:
ISLAMABAD: A solemn ceremony was held in Islamabad to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide and the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for Bosnia and Herzegovina and its commitment to peace, justice, and preserving historical truth.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Pakistan Emin Čohodarević, Senator Faisal Saleem, Director General (Europe) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shahbaz Khokhar, diplomats, business leaders, journalists, and civil society representatives.
Addressing the gathering, Barrister Aqeel Malik described the Srebrenica Genocide as an enduring stain on humanity’s conscience, saying Pakistan would never forget the suffering of the Bosnian people and would continue to support peace, justice, human rights, and the rule of international law. He stressed the need for the international community to unite against hatred, extremism, religious intolerance, and ethnic discrimination to prevent such tragedies.
Ambassador Emin Čohodarević paid tribute to the victims, recalling that more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were systematically killed in July 1995 in a crime recognized as genocide by international courts. He thanked Pakistan for its humanitarian, diplomatic, and moral support during Bosnia’s most difficult years and appreciated Pakistan’s backing of the 2024 UN General Assembly resolution designating 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide.
Speakers described the massacre as the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II and emphasized that preserving the memory of the victims and promoting peace, justice, tolerance, and interfaith harmony remain a shared responsibility of the international community.
The ceremony concluded with special prayers for the victims of the Srebrenica Genocide, global peace, justice, and solidarity with the victims’ families.
