Right of Reply by India in response to the Statement made by Pakistan at the 38^th Session of the Human Rights Council (18 June to 06 July, 2018) on Agenda Item 3, delivered by Shri Animesh Choudhury, Second Secretary. [25 June 2018, Geneva]

The delegation of India would like to exercise its right of reply to the statement made by Pakistan under this Agenda.

On the OHCHR Report mentioned in Pakistan’s statement, we have already outrightly rejected it in the strongest terms. It is nothing but a fallacious, tendentious and motivated piece of disinformation. Pakistan’s use of it sounds like a broken record in their desperate attempt to deflect the world’s attention away from their own most dismal situation where they have no respect at all for human rights. It should be a matter of deep concern for the Council that this report undermines the UN-led consensus on terrorism and in fact, legitimizes terrorism by referring to the UN designated terrorist entities as “armed groups” and calling terrorists as “leaders”. Surely, the Council cannot be oblivious of this attempt to legitimize terrorism. In the larger interest of the global fight against terrorism, the overtly prejudiced and false narrative should not be allowed to gain any currency in the Council or anywhere else in the world.

What is portrayed by Pakistan as a right to self-determination in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is actually state-sponsored cross border terrorism. The most basic fundamental right, i.e. Right to Life has been constantly violated from unrelenting cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and territories under its control. No action has been taken by Pakistan against the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, Uri and other cross border terrorist attacks carried out by Pakistan based groups including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. In blatant disregard of its international obligations under UNSCR 1267, Pakistan continues to mainstream a large number of UN proscribed terrorist entities and individuals with easy access to funds, financial services and public space. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has already raised major concerns on lack of effective prevention by Pakistan in terror financing.

Pakistan with its amnesic tendency chooses to recall parts of the UN resolution on Jammu and Kashmir. However, its memory conveniently fails that they need to first vacate the illegal occupation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and that they have to fulfill its obligations under the 1972 Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration of February 1999.

The people of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are reeling under torture, killings and enforced disappearances for their legitimate demands for fundamental rights. The Muslim minorities of Pakistan as well as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir such as Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailia and Hazaras are victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship due to Pakistan’s authoritarian and discriminatory policies

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