Pak has unleashed systematic persecution against own Muslim minorities: India at UN

India on Tuesday lashed out at Pakistan for cross-border terrorism. Speaking at the 39th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Indian diplomat Mini Devi Kumam exercised India's 'Right of Reply' and stated that the real problem in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is "cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan."

Kumam noted that the nature and the extent of cross-border terrorism is evident "from the number of Pakistani terrorists who have been apprehended by our security forces".

"Huge amount of arms and ammunition that's been recovered from terrorists and the continued existence of the infrastructure of support for internationally proscribed terrorist groups like Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba&Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pak controlled territories." the diplomat stated.

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"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."

"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.

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, India’s permanent representative to UN, Syed Akbaruddin, stated that Taliban, along with their aided supporters, "continue to pursue military operations perpetrating violence over several parts of Afghanistan," news agency ANI reported.

"These offences are planned and launched by those harboured in safe havens in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan," Akbaruddin noted.

He stated that these "sanctuaries" have provided safety to terror networks.

"These sanctuaries have, for years, provided safety for dark agendas of ideologically and operationally fused terror networks like the Taliban, the Haqqani network, Daesh, the Al Qaeda and its prescribed affiliates Lashkar-e-Taiba & Jaish-e-Mohammed," he added.