Geneva [Switzerland], Sept 18 (ANI): At the 39th Session of the Human Rights Council here on Tuesday, India criticised Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and raised the issue of human rights violations in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Indian diplomat Mini Devi Kumam exercised India's right of reply to the statement made by Pakistan under the same agenda.
"We reject Pakistan's continued reference to the fallacious and motivated report which India has out-rightly rejected. We deplore Pakistan's repeated and malicious propaganda to distract the world from its gross violation of human rights especially in the territories under its control," Kumam said.
"The Council may note that concerns have been raised by the international community on the absence of constitutional and civil rights of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and their sufferings due to deliberate economic policies causing extreme poverty, gross underdevelopment and economic hardships. Large-scale repression, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings continue with impunity in Sindh, Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir," Kumam added.
The real problem in Jammu and Kashmir is cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, Kumam asserted.
"The nature and extent of cross-border terrorism is evident from the number of Pakistan terrorists who have been apprehended by our security forces, the huge amount of arms and ammunition that has been recovered from the terrorists and the continued existence of infrastructure of support for the internationally proscribed terrorist groups like Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan controlled territories," Kumam said.
"It is ironical that a State whose foundation was laid on religious fundamentalism speaks about communal disharmony and religious intolerance. In its obsession with puritanism, it has unleashed systematic persecution against its own Muslim minorities including Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailia and Hazaras, who have been reduced to second-class citizens," she added.
The diplomat went on to add that Pakistan has the "dubious distinction of having more cases of persecution under Blasphemy laws than the rest of the world put together."
"Abductions, forced conversions and marriages of minority - Hindu, Sikh and Christian - women including girls are routinely carried out in Pakistan. The extent to which fundamentalism has been mainstreamed in Pakistan is evident from the fact that a member of the Economic Advisory Council was asked to step down by the new government only because of his Ahmadi faith," Kumam said.
"The world does not need lessons on democracy and human rights from Pakistan which has not enjoyed any true democracy since its existence. Indian democracy guarantees constitutional rights to all its citizens and is mature enough to effectively address all challenges including that in Jammu and Kashmir through sufficiently strong and adequate mechanisms," she added.
The diplomat later urged Pakistan to "stop misusing the Council and focus on its own dismal human rights record.
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