‘Our minorities have been PMs, presidents and superstars.How about yours?’ India gives it back to Pakistan at UN

Pakistan must fulfill its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Indian diplomat said

By: Rakesh Jha |
March 16, 2017 10:54 am

India on Wednesday tore into Pakistan’s narrative of alleged persecution of minorties in the country. After Pakistan’s unbridled attack on India at United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva over minorities and Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi showed mirror to Islamabad saying the country has not only become “world’s terrorism factory” but it has alienated its own people through the “continued mistreatment” of Hindus, Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyas and other minorities.

Asking Pakistan to rein its compulsive hostility towards India, the India’s UN representative Nabanita Chakrabarti said,”We ask Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of India and refrain from meddling in our internal affairs in any manner.”

“Once again Pakistan’s delegation has chosen to misuse the Council to make fallacious references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir,” the Indian side added.

In a sharp rebuttal to Pakistan’s allegations on minorities, the diplomat said,” In this Council, Pakistan has referred to situation of minorities in India. Minorities in India have been Prime Ministers, Presidents, Vice-Presidents, senior Cabinet Ministers, senior civil servants, cricket team captains, Bollywood superstars. Can the minorities of Pakistan claim even a shadow of this? All they have are blasphemy laws and relentless abuse and violation of their human rights.”

Emphasising that terrorism was the grossest violation of human rights and should be so acknowledged by any impartial and objective observer, the Indian side said a part of the territories of Jammu and Kashmir remain under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan.

“We also demand that Pakistan must fulfil its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)”, the diplomat said.

“It is unfortunate that in recent times the people of PoK have become victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship because of Pakistan’s occupation and discriminatory policies”, the Indian side said.

PTI inputs