"Take care of your country first": India roasts Pakistan over raising concerns on religious minorities at UNHRC

New York, Mar 4: India on Friday (local time) slammed Pakistan on the issue of religious freedom of minorities at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Using its right to reply, India's representative Seema Pujani slammed her Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar saying, "No religious minority can freely live or practice its religion in Pakistan today. The Ahmadiya community continues to be persecuted by the state for simply practicing their faith."

 

 

Responding to the statement delivered by Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, Pujani said, "Pakistan's representative has once again chosen to misuse this august forum for its malicious propaganda against India."

 

 

The Indian Representative also shed light on the issue of enforced disappearances. "In the last decade, Pakistan's own commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances has received 8463 complaints. The Baloch people have borne the brunt of this cruel policy. Students, doctors, engineers, teachers and community leaders are regularly disappeared by the state, never to return back," said Pujani.

 

 

She also highlighted the plight of Christians in the country and how they are mistreated in the country. "Equally worse is the treatment of the Christian community. It is frequently targeted through draconian blasphemy laws. State institutions officially reserve sanitation jobs for Christians," said Pujani.

 

 

She also raised concern over a "predatory state and an apathetic judiciary," regarding the conversion of underage minority girls. "Underage girls from the community are converted to Islam abetted by a predatory state and an apathetic judiciary. Hindu and Sikh communities face similar issues of frequent attack on their places of worship and forced conversion of their underage girls. The state's crackdown on those who wish to raise their voice against any of these heinous policies is also incomparable. A bill which proposes a five-year jail term for anyone who scandalizes or ridicules the military or the judiciary is currently on the table in Pakistan's parliament," said Pujani.

 

The Indian diplomat also slammed Pakistan for supporting terrorism, saying, that Pakistan's "security agencies have nurtured and sheltered Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar for decades".

 

 

"When it is not entirely focused on suppressing its own population, Pakistan actively lends its energies to aid, host and abet international terrorists. It has the unique distinction of hosting the most number of UNSC-designated terrorists and terror organizations. Allow me to recall that Osama bin Laden lived next to Pakistan's premier military academy. Its security agencies have nurtured and sheltered Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azar for decades. These are but a few dreaded names from the annals of Pakistan's history of supporting terrorism. Pakistan's policies are directly responsible for the death of thousands of civilians around the world. Pakistan's obsession with India while its population battle for their lives, livelihood and freedom is an indicator," she added.

 

Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on Thursday had said "political expediency has condoned the Hindutva regime to dehumanise the Kashmiri people by falsely equating their legitimate pursuit of rights with the canard of terrorism."

"The Indian occupying authorities have stepped up collective punishment of Kashmiris by demolishing residential homes and terminating land leases to deprive Kashmiris of their livelihoods," Ms Khar said.