India asked Pakistan to stop state-sponsored cross-border terrorism and end institutionalized violation of human rights of its minorities

India has slammed Pakistan for commenting on Jammu and Kashmir and misusing the august forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) “for its malicious propaganda.”

India has also rejected the reference to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the statement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

"It has no locus standi to comment on matters related to J&K, which is an integral and inalienable part of India," First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to UN Pawankumar Badhe said, exercising his right of reply to the statements made by Pakistan and the OIC.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we are conducting this Session. However, Pakistan’s deliberate misuse of this august forum for its malicious propaganda against India, aimed at diverting the attention of the Council from its own serious violations of human rights, has remained a constant,” the Indian representative added, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Badhe also said that it is regrettable that the OIC continues to allow itself to be exploited by Pakistan to indulge in anti-India propaganda.

This comes almost a week after India rejected Pakistan minister Shireen Mazari's criticism of the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Exercising its “right of reply”, the first secretary in the permanent mission to the UN reiterated the incidents of misuse of human rights in Pakistan.

“The Council should ask Pakistan why the size of its minority communities such as Christians, Hindus and Sikhs has drastically shrunk since independence and why they and other communities such as Ahmadiyyas, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Baloch, have been subjected to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuses and forced conversions. Holy and ancient sites of religious minorities in Pakistan have been attacked and vandalized daily,” Badhe said.

Pointing out the recent incident of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh who was allowed to go scot free even after being the key suspect in a murder case, Badhe said, “Enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and, arbitrary detentions of those who try to speak against the establishment are rampant in Pakistan and have been carried out by the State’s security agencies with impunity.”

“Disappearances and killings of Baloch Human Rights defenders show that Human Rights defenders are not safe, even after they leave Pakistan. Idris Khattak, a human rights defender who was picked up in November 2019 continues to be in secret detention,” he added in a statement.

In his statement, Badhe advised Pakistan to “stop wasting time of the Council and its mechanisms, stop state-sponsored cross-border terrorism and end institutionalized violation of human rights of its minority and other communities.