Right of Reply under Agenda Item 2: ID on the Annual Report of HC, delivered by Mr. Pawankumar Badhe First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India [Geneva, 22nd June, 2021] Right of Reply under Agenda Item 2: ID on the Annual Report of HC, delivered by Mr. Pawankumar Badhe..

Right of Reply under Agenda Item 2: ID on the Annual Report of HC, delivered by Mr. Pawankumar Badhe First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India [Geneva, 22nd June, 2021]

47th session of the Human Rights Council
(21 June to 15 July 2021)

Right of Reply under Agenda Item 2: ID on the Annual Report of HC, delivered by Mr. Pawankumar Badhe First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India
 [Geneva, 22nd June, 2021]

Madam President,

We exercise our right of reply to the statement made by Pakistan at the Interactive Dialogue on the annual report of the High Commissioner.

2. It is regrettable that Pakistan has once again misused this platform for making unfounded and irresponsible allegations against India.

3. Pakistan has been doing this only to distract the Council’s attention from the deplorable human rights situation in Pakistan. The plight of minorities in Pakistan is evident from their shrinking size. “Forced conversions” have become a daily phenomenon in Pakistan. We have seen reports of minor girls belonging to religious minorities being abducted, raped, forcibly converted and married. More than 1000 girls, belonging to religious minorities, are forcibly converted in Pakistan every year.

4. Systemic persecution of minorities, including Christians, Ahmadiya, Sikhs, Hindus through draconian blasphemy laws, forced conversions and marriages and extrajudicial killings, has become a regular phenomenon in Pakistan. Holy and ancient sites of religious minorities in Pakistan have been attacked and vandalized.

5. Pakistan has also become the land of enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detentions of political activists, students, journalists, human rights defenders and minorities. Pakistan has the dubious distinction of being listed as one of the most dangerous countries for practice of journalism. Journalists are threatened, intimidated, taken off air, kidnapped and in some cases killed, mainly to silence critics of the Establishment. While families of victims continue to struggle for justice, the perpetrators of these acts have enjoyed complete impunity.

Madam President,

6. The scourge of terrorism is the gravest violation of human rights and must be dealt with in strongest terms in all its forms and manifestations.  Pakistan, as its state policy, continues to provide pensions to dreaded and listed terrorists and hosts them on its territory. It is high time that Pakistan is held accountable for aiding and abetting terrorism.

Thank you, Madam President.

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