First Right of Reply by India under Agenda 2 at the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council (25 February-22 March 2019) delivered by Sh. Animesh Choudhury, First Secretary on 08th March 2019.

Mr. President,

    India exercises its right of reply to the misleading narratives by Pakistan.

2. India rejects any mischief by Pakistan to revive the so called remote and motivated report on Kashmir that reflected individual malice and prejudice. The central problem to Jammu and Kashmir is cross border terrorism supported, sustained and perpetuated by Pakistan. We are not surprised at the habitual denial by Pakistan’s political and military leadership of the presence of terrorist infrastructure and terrorist entities in territories under its control. Pakistan undermines the UN led consensus on zero tolerance against terrorism by mainstreaming UN proscribed terrorist organizations and terrorist entities in blatant disregard to UNSC resolution 1267 or 1988 UN sanctions.

3. Similarly, while calling for the so called Plebiscite and UN resolutions, Pakistan has not fulfilled its own obligations that included vacating illegally occupied territories. India reminds Pakistan that these resolutions are time and context specific and Pakistan’s own failure to fulfil its obligations and its acts of aggressions against India in violation of international laws have made these resolutions redundant. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of a pluralistic Indian democracy and our mature democracy with its sufficient mechanisms has addressed any issues including those instigated from outside.

4. Pakistan is reminded that the principle of self-determination is applicable to colonial territories. What is portrayed by Pakistani as self-determination is actually State-sponsored cross-border terrorism and the support actually means extending military, financial, logistical support to terrorism against India. Cross-border terrorism till date has killed more than 14,000 civilians and 5000 security personnel in Jammu & Kashmir alone.

5. Malicious Propaganda against India has been the only agenda of Pakistan in the Council. The reasons are not hard to find. It has been the tactic of Pakistan to divert the attention of the Council from its own dismal human rights record. Blatant violations of human rights, abductions and enforced disappearances of innocent civilians in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Pakistan occupied Kashmir have been acknowledged by the international community. Women, Christians, Shias, ethnic minorities like Baloch, Islamic minorities like Ahmadis are regularly subjected to violence, persecution, discrimination and state-sponsored repression in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Journalists critical of Pakistan’s military and intelligence services go missing regularly.

4. Its ironical that comments on human rights have been made by a country where the issues of constitutional safeguards, democracy, growth of extremism and human rights have been raised by the international community.

Mr. President,

5. India reiterates that the OIC has no locus standi to comment on internal affairs of India.

*********