US bars Chinese officials for crackdown on Uighur, amid Pak's silence

US President Donald Trump's ministration on Tuesday slapped travel bans on Chinese officials involved in a brutal crackdown against Uighurs and or Muslim mirities in its west. State Department said it would t issue visas to Chinese government and Communist Party officials believed to be responsible for or complicit in mass detentions and abuses in western Xinjiang province. It did t identify targeted officials or say how many were affected by ban, which can also be applied to ir immediate family members.

In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged China to halt its "campaign of repression" in region, release all those arbitrarily detained and stop trying to coerce members of Chinese Muslim mirity groups residing abro to return to China.

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" protection of human rights is of fundamental importance, and all countries must respect ir human rights obligations and commitments," Pompeo said. " United States will continue to review its authorities to respond to se abuses."

" Chinese government has instituted a highly repressive campaign against Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and or members of Muslim mirity groups in Xinjiang Uighur Automous Region (Xinjiang)," he ded.

anuncement came a day after Commerce Department blacklisted Chinese government ncies and a number of Chinese companies that develop facial recognition and ar artificial intelligence techlogy U.S. says is being used to repress Muslim mirities. blacklist effectively bars U.S. firms from selling techlogy to Chinese companies without government approval.

China is estimated to have detained up to 1 million Muslims in prison-like detention centers in region. detentions come on top of harsh travel restrictions and a massive surveillance network equipped with facial recognition techlogy. China has denied committing abuses in centers and has described m as schools aimed at providing employable skills and combating extremism.

China was also accused of harvesting organs from prosecuted mirity groups, during a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in September last week.

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Pakistan on China's crackdown on Muslim mirity

Imran Khan has been seeking world's attention over situation in Kashmir, alleging people of Muslim community to be under siege in region. However, Pakistan Prime Minister has conveniently igred atrocities unleashed by ir "all-wear friend" China, on mirity Muslims communities across country. 

hypocrisy was brought to tice once again during Imran Khan's interview with Al Jazeera on September 12, wherein Pakistan Prime Minister was questioned if he h a chance to discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping over issue of systematic persecution of Uighur community. 

", I haven't," said Imran Khan, ding that country is drowned in internal issues and claimed that he was unaware of "problem."

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"And frankly, we have been facing so many of our internal problems right w, that I don't really kw much about this problem. And since we have been in power for one year, domestically, apart from ecomy, and w with Kashmir, we have been inundated with problems. But I will say one thing for China, for us China has been best friend," he told international news media organisation. 

Imran Khan's credibility over his claims to confront 'Islamophobia' was questioned, over his silence on treatment of Muslim mirity in China.  At UNGA, Imran Khan, along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Moham accouned to establish an English news channel to confront Islamophobia in West. 

UN ambassors from 37 countries released a letter on July 12 defending China's treatment of Uighur and or mirities in Xinjiang region, in direct response to Western criticism earlier this week.

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(With PTI inputs)