E-Paper
Hold Pak accountable, says India in rebuttal to Pak’s barbs at UNHRC meet
Islamabad has been making allegations against New Delhi at the UN Human Rights Council only to distract the body’s attention from the “deplorable human rights situation in Pakistan”, Badhe said.
New Delhi: India on Tuesday called on the world community to hold Pakistan “accountable for aiding and abetting terrorism”, including its state policy of hosting dreaded and sanctioned terrorists on its territory.
The demand was part of India’s response to Pakistan’s statement at the interactive dialogue on the annual report of the UN human rights chief at the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council. New Delhi’s response was delivered by Pawan Badhe, first secretary in India’s permanent mission in Geneva.
Badhe said it was regrettable that Pakistan again “misused” the UN Human Rights Council to make “unfounded and irresponsible allegations” against India.
“The scourge of terrorism is the gravest violation of human rights and must be dealt with in strongest terms in all its forms and manifestations. Pakistan, as its state policy, continues to provide pensions to dreaded and listed terrorists and hosts them on its territory,” he said.
“It is high time that Pakistan is held accountable for aiding and abetting terrorism,” he added.
Islamabad has been making allegations against New Delhi at the UN Human Rights Council only to distract the body’s attention from the “deplorable human rights situation in Pakistan”, Badhe said.
“The plight of minorities in Pakistan is evident from their shrinking size. ‘Forced conversions’ have become a daily phenomenon in Pakistan. We have seen reports of minor girls belonging to religious minorities being abducted, raped, forcibly converted and married. More than 1,000 girls, belonging to religious minorities, are forcibly converted in Pakistan every year,” he said.
The systematic persecution of minorities, including Christians, Ahmadiyas, Sikhs and Hindus, through blasphemy laws, forced conversions and marriages and extra-judicial killings has become a regular phenomenon in Pakistan, he added.
The religious sites of minorities in Pakistan had also been attacked and vandalised, Badhe said.
“Pakistan has also become the land of enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detentions of political activists, students, journalists, human rights defenders and minorities,” he said in his response.
“Pakistan has the dubious distinction of being listed as one of the most dangerous countries for practice of journalism. Journalists are threatened, intimidated, taken off air, kidnapped and in some cases killed, mainly to silence critics of the establishment, he added.
