NEW DELHI: India on Friday tore into Pakistan at the UNHRC for raking up Jammu and Kashmir. Exercising the right to reply at the UN Human Rights Council after Pakistan raised concerns over right violations in J&K, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission Vimarsh Aryan said the international community cannot be misled by Pakistan’s hysterical reactions at global forums to malign India.
“The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is fast returning to normalcy despite serious attempts by Pakistan to derail the positive developments through its active support to terrorist groups and related entities,” he said.
In a 10-point list to Pakistan, Aryan asked Islamabad to put an end to public advocacy and support for terrorists.
“Pakistan should end the illegal and forcible occupation and reverse the demographic changes in Pakistan-occupied J&K and take structural reforms to develop a semblance of democracy in Pakistan,” he said.
The Indian diplomat went on to throw light on the plight of minorities in Pakistan.
“Pakistani leadership should end harassment and execution of minorities through misuse of the blasphemy law, end forced conversions and marriages of women and girls from Hindu, Sikh and Christian religions and stop religious persecution against Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailia and Hazaras.”
The First Secretary also accused Pakistan of recruiting children for terror activities including suicide bombing.
“Stop killing and targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and prevent enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of journalists and human rights activists...” Aryan said the world knows about the dismal human rights record of Pakistan while India’s time tested democratic institutions are adequate enough to address any challenge.
Prez Trump visit has boosted ties: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump’s recent India trip was a demonstration of the value that Washington places on ties with New Delhi.
“Democratic traditions unite us, shared interests bond us, and under the President’s leadership our partnership has and will only grow stronger,” he said while retweeting a photo posted by the White House.
Acting Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Alice Wells said Trump’s trip to India had “paved the way for further cooperation in key areas such as energy, defence, people-to-people ties and Indo-Pacific coordination”.
She said the US was looking forward to continued engagement with India on energy.