NEW DELHI: In the United Nations Security Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday, India asked Pakistan to shut down its terror infrastructure and reminded it of its blatant violation of the human rights of minorities. This rebuttal came after Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar raked up Kashmir in his speech.
"Pakistan has become a habitual offender when it comes to misusing this august forum to peddle baseless and malicious propaganda against India," said Petal Gahlot, India’s first secretary at the UN while exercising a right to reply.
Earlier, Kakar, while addressing the 78th session of the UNGA, said, "Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbours including India. India has evaded implementation of the security council’s resolutions which call for the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir to be decided by its people through UN-supervised plebiscite."
India reminded Pakistan that it was seeking action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks.
"Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we call upon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks whose victims await justice even after 15 years," Gahlot said, adding that India reiterated that the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir are an integral part of India.
"Matters pertaining to the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are purely internal to India. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our domestic matters," Gahlot, said adding that Pakistan misused multilateral forums to spread false propaganda against India.
India also highlighted the gross violations of human rights in Pakistan when it came to minorities which included Hindus, Sikhs and Christians.
The recent attacks on Christian communities in Pakistan’s Jaranwala were mentioned by India, where dozens of churches were set ablaze and Christian houses were vandalised in mob violence as a mob of miscreants attacked them claiming that some members of the community engaged in blasphemy. The issue of abduction, forced conversion and marriage of Hindu girls was also raised.
"The condition of women belonging to minority communities in Pakistan notably Hindus, Sikhs and Christians remains deplorable. According to a recent report published by Pakistan’s own Human Rights Commission, an estimated 1,000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction, forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan every year,” Gahlot said.
"Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we call upon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks whose victims await justice even after 15 years," Gahlot said, outlining the steps Islamabad should take to restore peace in the region.