Shahid Qureshi
ISLAMABAD, July 11: Pakistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday renewed their resolve to combat genocide, hatred and religious intolerance, as the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina commemorated the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide, with speakers urging the international community to uphold justice, preserve historical truth and prevent such atrocities from recurring.
The commemorative ceremony, held at PNCA marked the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, during which more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were systematically murdered in July 1995 in what the United Nations has described as the worst atrocity committed on European soil since the Second World War.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Emin Cohodarevic said the memory of Srebrenica was a moral responsibility for the entire international community and a reminder of the catastrophic consequences of hatred, ethnic cleansing and silence in the face of injustice.
He said that on July 11, the remains of ten newly identified victims would be laid to rest at the Potočari Memorial Centre, noting that many victims’ remains had been recovered from multiple mass graves after perpetrators attempted to conceal the crime by relocating bodies to secondary and tertiary burial sites.
“The truth could not be buried with the victims,” the ambassador said, adding that international and domestic court verdicts had conclusively established that genocide was committed in Srebrenica.
He stressed that remembrance was not about revenge but about justice, dignity for the victims and ensuring that future generations never witnessed such crimes again.
Ambassador Cohodarevic expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its unwavering political, diplomatic and humanitarian support during Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most difficult years. He recalled Pakistan’s humanitarian assistance, support at the United Nations, the role of Pakistani peacekeepers and its backing for the UN General Assembly resolution adopted in May 2024 proclaiming July 11 as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide.
Calling for stronger global efforts against genocide denial, hate speech and the glorification of war criminals, he urged governments to promote peace, dialogue, reconciliation and education as essential tools for preventing future atrocities.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, the chief guest, said Pakistan stood in solidarity with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and honored the memory of the innocent victims of Srebrenica.
He said the genocide demonstrated how hatred, discrimination and the demonization of ethnic and religious communities could escalate into mass violence if left unchallenged.
“The lessons of Srebrenica and Rwanda remind us that remembrance must be matched with accountability and determined international action to prevent the recurrence of genocide,” he said.
Barrister Aqeel Malik said Pakistan had consistently advocated strengthening the role of the United Nations in preventing genocide, protecting vulnerable populations and promoting international peace and security.
He said Bosnia and Herzegovina occupied a special place in the hearts of the Pakistani people, recalling the longstanding friendship between the two countries during times of war, humanitarian crisis and post-war reconstruction.
The minister called upon the international community to firmly confront Islamophobia, hate speech, intolerance and discrimination before they evolved into large-scale violence, stressing that dialogue, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence remained the strongest safeguards against conflict.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace, reconciliation and international cooperation, urging the world to draw lessons from history and work collectively to build a future founded on justice, human dignity and harmony.
The ceremony concluded with participants observing the photo exhibition in memory of the victims and renewing their commitment to preserving historical truth, promoting accountability and ensuring that genocide is never repeated anywhere in the world.
