31st SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Right of Reply by India
in response to the statement by Pakistan delegation under General Segment/Agenda Item 3

Mr. President,

1.   My delegation wishes to exercise its right to reply in response to the statement made by Pakistan delegation under agenda item 3.

2.   It is unfortunate that the representative of Pakistan has once again chosen to misuse and mislead this forum by making motivated allegations about Jammu & Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India. The matters that need to be addressed are Pakistan's illegal occupation of a part of the State of Jammu & Kashmir and the continued suffering of the people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir who are victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism, extreme economic hardship and discriminatory policies.

3.   The continued operations of terrorist groups from Pakistan, which manifested in the last few months in a series of terrorist attacks in India- in and outside the State of Jammu and Kashmir- most recent of which was on Pathankot Airbase in January this year, is the prime reason for denial of the most fundamental of the rights- the right to life- to the victims of those heinous acts of terrorism.

4.   It will be in the fitness of things if instead of ritually raking up alleged human rights violations elsewhere, Pakistan were to focus its energies on acting against perpetrators of terrorist attacks on its neighbours from its own territory, so that terrorism emanating from Pakistan- the gravest risk for peace and stability of the region- could be addressed effectively.

I thank you Mr. President.
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