Second Right of Reply by India under Agenda Item 3 at the 41^st Session of the Human Rights Council (24 June – 12 July 2019) delivered by Mr. Vimarsh Aryan, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India [Geneva, 1 July 2019]

Madam Vice President

India is yet again compelled to exercise second right of reply (RoR) in response to RoR of Pakistan.

2. Spreading venom and lies and targeting each and every political figure in India is not going to improve its own abysmal human rights situations.

3. Pakistan has another distinction of being a country that used air power against its own citizens to snuff out legitimate pollical criticisms. Its genesis lies on religious fanaticism which has been further compounded through proxy governments, deep states, sham democratic institutions along with the rich history of deceit, assassinations, political murders, conspiracies and military coups.

4. No amount of hyperbole can hide the dismal human rights record of Pakistan, which has been systematically violating the rights and freedoms of people of PoJK including exploitation of their natural resources. Extrajudicial killings and disappearances in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to be the order of the day. Minorities are harassed through blasphemy laws. Forced conversions and marriages of minority women are routinely carried out with impunity. Even Muslim minorities such as Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailia and Hazaras are victims to sectarian violence and systemic persecution.

I thank You Madam Vice President.

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