India today presented a resolute counter to Pakistan’s allegations about Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council saying that a country with such an “abysmal” record should not interfere in other nation’s internal affairs. Exercising its ‘Right to Reply’, India said Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on matters that are internal to India.
At the 55th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, India’s first secretary Anupama Singh said that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. She said it was unfortunate that the council has been again misused to propagate false allegations against India.
“With regard to the extensive references to India made by Pakistan, we note that it is deeply unfortunate for the Council’s platform to have once again been misused to make patently false accusations against India,” Anupama Singh said.
India exercises Right of Reply against Pakistan at #HRC55 pic.twitter.com/rdTMVWYmFT
— India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) February 28, 2024
The Indian diplomat highlighted the irony in Pakistan’s stance, labeling their human rights record as “truly abysmal.” She pointed out a specific instance of persecution against the Christian community in Jaranwala city in August 2023, where 19 churches were destroyed and 89 Christian houses were burnt down.
“A country that has institutionalised the systemic persecution of its own minorities and has a truly abysmal human rights record, commenting on India, which is demonstrably making great strides in achieving economic progress and social justice, is not merely ironical but perverse,” she said.
Ms Singh also drew attention to Pakistan’s support for UNSC-sanctioned terrorists and accused the country of sponsoring terrorism globally. She concluded by stating that India cannot pay further attention to a country soaked in the red of bloodshed from terrorism, debt-riddled national balance sheets, and the shame its people feel for their government’s failure to serve their interests.
The ongoing UNHRC session, which began on February 26, will continue until April 5. The exchange between India and Pakistan is part of a broader diplomatic discourse between the two nations. In August of the previous year, India had stressed the necessity of an environment free from terror and hostilities for normal ties with Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs had expressed the desire for normal neighborly relations and emphasized the importance of a terrorism-free atmosphere.
India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, had earlier noted in an interview that Pakistan’s future is contingent on its actions and choices. He suggested that it is incumbent upon Pakistan to find a way out of its economic troubles, including dwindling forex reserves, high inflation, and a sharp depreciation of its currency.
