India hits out at Pakistan over ‘systematic persecution of religious minorities’, calls it ‘epicentre of global terrorism’

NEW DELHI: Calling Pakistan an ‘epicentre of global terrorism’, India on Tuesday hit out at Islamabad for unabated torture, maiming and systematic persecution of religious minorities in the country. The remark was made by V Aryan, First Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“We are witnessing in Pakistan unabated torture, maiming and systematic persecution of religious minorities. Attacks on a Hindu funeral procession and a Christian church days ago in Sindh & Punjab provinces portray the horrific plight of various minorities in Pakistan,” V Aryan said.

Calling Pakistan ''the epicentre of global terrorism'', the MEA official said, “Islamabad very irresponsibly harps on self-determination of the already democratic Jammu and Kashmir.”

While accusing Pakistan of abusing its UNHRC membership for propagating an illegal, immoral and inhuman territorial ambition, the MEA First Secretary said, “It's unfortunate, however, not unexpected from the deep state of Pakistan which is continuing incessant abuse of its membership of this august Council for propagating an illegal, immoral & inhuman territorial ambition.”

Exercising its Right of Reply after Pakistan raised Kashmir issue at UNHRC, the MEA official said, "I would once again invoke the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) to ask Pakistan to abjure its territorial ambition which is grossly violative of all human rights. It very conveniently ignores that VDPA explicitly states that the principle of self-determination must not be used as a garb to promote activities detrimental to the territorial integrity and political unity of member states in violation of the UN Charter."

He added that Pakistan should practice tolerance towards their minorities and good neighbourliness towards us so that the South-Asian region sees eternal peace the absence of which can mostly be attributed to Pakistani deep state.

India had on Monday (June 15) came down heavily on Islamabad for raising the Kashmir issue at the United Nations. India also expressed "serious concern" over Pakistan's audacity to accuse New Delhi and others of "effecting a state-sponsored genocide."

Senthil Kumar, the First Secretary of India's Permanent Mission, slammed Pakistan for misusing the UNHRC forum and said that Pakistan must introspect on human rights situations in its country before giving advice to others.

Kumar asserted that crimes against humanity is a common thing in Pakistan and enforced disappearances, state violence, forced mass displacement, extrajudicial killings, army operations, torture camps, detention centres, and military camps are a regular feature in Balochistan.

Referring to India's decision to abrogate Article 370 which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar noted that the decision does not have any external ramifications. Kumar stressed that people of Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed the decision and marched ahead despite Islamabad's "nefarious attempt" to derail peace and stability in the region.