New Delhi: India on Wednesday admonished Pakistan for bringing up the Kashmir issue at the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) underway in Geneva, Switzerland. India asked Pakistan to work constructively to fix its own issues back home.
Exercising India’s right to reply, Vimarsh Aryan, first secretary, India’s permanent mission to United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), said, ” This Council is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights universally. However, ironically, what we heard from Pakistani delegation was an attempt to polarise and politicise this august forum.”
“Pakistani delegation is raising false and fabricated concerns for rights of human rights defenders elsewhere, however, unfortunately, legitimate human rights defenders in Pakistan are bearing the brunt of real draconian laws as we speak,” he said.
Aryan also brought into session’s notice the reference made by the international community of the extrajudicial killings of journalists, lawyers and human rights activists systematically carried out by the Pakistani security agencies.
“Women human rights activists are the prime targets in the military operations in Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Provinces of Pakistan. Legitimate criticism and Political dissidents are routinely targeted through intimidation and killings by Pakistan,” he said.
The diplomat reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and will continue to be an integral part of India.