India today hit back at Pakistan over its comments on the alleged human rights abuse in Kashmir, saying Islamabad must first stop terrorism emanating from its soil.
The Pakistan Foreign Office today alleged human rights violations in Kashmir. It also raised concern over shifting of woman separatist leader Syeda Aasiya Andrabi to Tihar jail and detention of Hurriyat leaders Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Masarrat Alam Bhat.
Andrabi was arrested by the National Investigating Agency under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly carrying out secessionist activity and waging war against India.
"They sometimes forget that what they preach they don't follow. Time and again we have told them to stop supporting terrorism, stop supporting terrorist entities, which are operating out of Pakistan. That is something (on which) they have taken no action. Our position on this remains clear and consistent," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question at a media briefing.
According to media reports, Zafar Bangash, a Pakistani-origin journalist based in Canada has claimed that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, was in constant touch with him while preparing the controversial report on Kashmir which was rejected by India.
In a report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights last month, the UN body talked about alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and sought an international inquiry into these abuses.
"We also question the intention of bringing out this report. The document that was brought out reflected the clear bias of the official, who was acting without a mandate
whatsoever and who relied on unverified source of information. The report which had put out was very motivated. It had a clear bias. And when I say motivated, it explains what you are alluding to," he said.
Responding to a question on Gulab Singh Shaheen, the Pakistan's first Sikh police officer, forcibly evicted from his home along with his children and wife, following a property dispute with the government, Kumar said India strongly condemns the act.
"This is not for the first time that the religious minorities in Pakistan have been subjected to such a behaviour. In the past, there have been reports of persecution of people from other communities," he said.
Kumar added that in May, Charnjit Singh, a prominient Sikh leader was also killed in Peshawar.
"We want Pakistan to probe the matter with sincerity and act as per its international obligation to protect the minorities," he said.
Kumar said Don Pramudwinai, the Foreign Minister of Thailand, in a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, has thanked India for the moral support it had extended during the operation to rescue 12 boys trapped in the cave.
In the letter, the Thai Foriegn Minister also thanked the Indian community in Thailand for solidarity it displayed during the operation.
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