Right of Reply by India under Agenda Item 3 : ID with SR on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of Association and the ID with SR on the promotion and protection of the Right to freedom of Opinion and Expression at the 44th Session of the Human Rights Council (30 June – 21 July 2020) delivered by Mr. S. Senthil Kumar, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India
(Geneva, 10 July 2020)
Madam President,
India exercises its right of reply to the statements made by Pakistan on the ID’s with SR on the rights to freedom of peaceful Assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Madam President,
2. While we don’t feel the need to respond Pakistan’s fake narratives, lies and deceits, let me help Pakistan recollect its own dismal record when it comes to fundamental freedoms and rights.
Madam President,
3. No constitutional right has been endowed upon the people in Sindh, Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where they struggle even for basic rights. No political group or organization is allowed to hold a peaceful protests in POJK while arrests of leadership of local parties continue unabated. The so-called courts systematically support the authorities in denying the right to form association and trade unions in POJK.
Madam President,
4. A series of peaceful protests were suppressed last year in POJK causing injuries to hundreds of protesting workers, students through indiscriminate use of force. Effecting ‘State enforced and coordinated disappearances’ of political dissidents, civil liberty activists, human rights defenders, journalists has snuffed out any incipient, demand for civil and political rights in territories under its control. Social activities namely Jibran Nasir, Salman Haidar, Ahmed Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed, Ahmed Raza Naseer are victims in 2019 to name a few.
Madam President,
5. Under the campaign to "pick up and dump", Baloch nationalists including innocent bystanders are picked up, disappeared, tortured, mutilated and then killed. As on January 2019, 2178 unresolved cases are reported only in Baluchistan while unofficial numbers are much higher. The whereabouts of disappeared 47,000 Baloch and 35,000 Pashtuns are still unknown. In 2019 alone, 568 persons disappeared and 241 were killed by the Pakistan security forces and students continue to remain the main target of military and so-called death squads. Despite the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, shelling by helicopter gunships followed by massive raids continued and in April 2020 alone, 16 Baloch were killed and 73 students, women, children and infants were picked up by the Pakistani forces.
Madam President,
6. It’s a matter of grave concern that similar fate await for the people in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Time only limits us in detailing more atrocities. It would do well for Pakistan to introspect and set its house in order at least for its sake.
Thank you, Madam President.
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