Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 28^th Session (6-17 November 2017) : 3rd UPR of Pakistan – Interactive Dialogue. [Geneva, 13 November 2017]

Thank you, Mr. President

We welcome the delegation of Pakistan.We recommend the Government of Pakistan following:

1. to provide freedom to the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir by ending its illegal and forcible occupation;

2. to dismantle Special Terrorist Zones, safe havens and sanctuaries and take verifiable actions, including on terror financing;

3. to bar military courts from trying civilians and allow their monitoring by international observers and human rights organisations;

4. to allow due legal processes and judicial review by the High Courts and Supreme Court for cases tried by Military Courts;

5. to fulfill international obligations under ICCPR and VCCR, including consular access for foreign nationals without discrimination;

6. to end harassment of minorities and place procedural and institutional safeguards to prevent misuse of blasphemy law;

7. to end forced conversions and marriages of minorities, including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all cases;

8. to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa;

9. to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killing, including that of journalists and activists, by its security agencies and prosecute perpetrators;

10. to review the educational curriculum, including in Madrassahs, to remove extreme prejudices, religious intolerance and historical distortions;

11. to stop sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailia and Hazaras;

12. to stop awarding death penalty to juveniles and execution of persons with disabilities.

The full statement along with the recommendations is available on UPR Extranet.

Thank you.