NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday tore into Pakistan’s request to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) to appoint a panel to probe the situation in Kashmir after Article 370 was hollowed out, saying J&K is an integral part of India and no country can interfere in its internal affairs.
“Revocation of J&K’s special status was a sovereign decision taken by Indian Parliament and the country cannot accept any interference in its internal affairs. Pakistan’s false and fabricated narratives would not work,” Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Vijay Thakur Singh told the UNHRC at its 42nd session in Geneva.
Charging Pakistan with being the epicentre of global terror, India said: “They cry victims when they are the perpetrators of terror in Kashmir,” adding, “there was a need to call out those who are misusing the UNHRC for their political agenda under the garb of human rights.”
Singh said the recent legislative measures taken by India in J&K were within the framework of its Constitution.“These decisions were taken by our Parliament after a full debate that was televised and enjoyed widespread support. We wish to reiterate that this sovereign decision, like other legislations passed by Parliament, is entirely internal to India,” Singh asserted.
India’s rebuttal came after Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and its permanent ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi raked up the Kashmir issue and demanded an international probe into it by the UNHRC. Qureshi alleged India was breaching multiple human rights instruments.
Later while addressing the media, Qureshi apparently fumbled by calling it the Indian state of J&K, as against Pakistan’s official position of India-administered Kashmir.
Qureshi’s statement came on heels of US President Donald Trump reiterating his offer to help India and Pakistan ease bilateral tensions if they want, while noting that tensions over Kashmir are “a little bit less heated” now compared to two weeks ago.
Govt rejects China-Pak point
India on Tuesday objected to a reference made to J&K in a China-Pakistan joint statement issued after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Islamabad. “We reject the reference,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said