Hitting back strongly at Pakistan at the 33rd session of UN Human Rights Council at Geneva, India raised the human rights violations committed by Pakistani forces in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied
Hitting back strongly at Pakistan at the 33rd session of UN Human Rights Council at Geneva, India raised the human rights violations committed by Pakistani forces in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), while also accusing Islamabad of carrying out cross-border terrorism in J&K and “choreographing” the violence from across the border.
India rejected Pakistani allegations of human rights violations in J&K and pointed out to its (India’s) adherence to the rule of law.
This comes soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, making it clear that New Delhi’s strategy will be to expose Islamabad’s dismal human rights record. According to reports, this was the first time ever that India had raised the Balochistan issue at the UN.
“Pakistan has once again sought to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the garb of concern for human rights. This is a country which has systematically abused and violated the human rights of its own citizens, including in Balochistan, as well as of the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. While advocating restraint to others, it has no hesitation in using air power against its own people. Pakistan also continues to provide sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists. It was, therefore, no surprise that Pakistan failed to convince the international community to secure the membership of the Human Rights Council in 2015,” India stated.
“Pakistan has alleged human rights violations in India. Our credentials as a peaceful, democratic, pluralistic society that is deeply committed to the welfare of its people is well-established. On the contrary, Pakistan is characterised by authoritarianism, absence of democratic norms and widespread human rights violations across the country, including Balochistan. The institutions of governance in Pakistan have corroded to such an extent that it has become a hub for the global export of terror,” India said, adding, “The current violence in Jammu and Kashmir has been choreographed from across our border since the death of a known terrorist belonging to an internationally proscribed terrorist organisation in police action in July 2016.”
“I would once again draw the attention to the fact that the present situation in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir arose from the death of a self-acknowledged commander of terrorist organisation, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. It was further aggravated by sustained cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The high number of causalities sustained by Indian security forces is a reflection of the tremendous restraint they have displayed in difficult circumstances. Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always remain so. We reject attempts by Pakistan to denigrate the democratic choice that has been regularly exercised by the people of Jammu & Kashmir. We have a robust institutional framework to ensure adherence to rule of law and respect for fundamental rights of the people in Jammu & Kashmir. It includes independent judiciary, National Human Rights Commission, vibrant civil society and free and vocal media”, said India’s ambassador and permanent representative at the UN in Geneva Ajit Kumar.
