India’s third secretary at the UN Permanent Mission in Geneva, Pawan Badhe said that resorting to abusive and unacceptable language against India can’t rectify Pakistan’s dubious human rights record
He said, “No fabricated words against India is going to change the fact that Pakistan and territories under its control are death-traps for journalists, human rights defenders, social activists, and religious and ethnic minorities.”
In his statement, he added, “Perennial India bashing project of Pakistan in the UN system is also not going to change the fact that hundreds of journalists and human rights defenders die each year in Pakistan due to systematic killings including extrajudicial ones.”
Registering protest at the forum the Indian representative said that Pakistan’s India focus agenda demonstrates its own hollowness when it comes to accountability and justice for oppressing those standing for their rights.
“The pathetic state of affairs for journalists and human rights defenders is well known when the deep state could make prominent journalists disappear in broad daylight at the heart of Pakistan. We only could imagine the fate of those journalists and human rights defenders in territories under its control. Silence is the apt word for them effected through enforced disappearances, murders, detentions, custodial deaths and torture in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Pakistan occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” said the Indian statement
Taking a dig at Pakistan’s historically poor record on human rights and democratic values, India said that while the world has progressed well, Pakistan is still at the crossroads to understand the real meaning of modern laws, democracy, and human rights. “The language of accountability, civic space, fundamental freedoms, and public participation is yet to find resonance with the authorities of Pakistan,” said the statement
The Indian representative also criticised Pakistan for targeting Indian leaders and said, “We are not baffled that Pakistan does well when it comes to inciting hatred against religious minorities and targeting our leadership with hate speeches. It’s well cherished and inherited culture of hatred makes it the perfect candidate for carrying forward the legacy of intolerance against anybody having modern views on human rights.
India once again denounced Pakistan for misusing the UNHRC platform and said that Its attempts to self-crown as an ardent supporter of political dissidents, journalists, social activists, minorities, and human rights defenders is a far cry from reality and for that Pakistan has many miles to go.
By Abhishek Jha