New York, September 23: After Pakistan’s acting Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar unsurprisingly brought up the Kashmir issue during his address to the UN General Assembly, India retaliated against that nation.
Petal Gahlot, the First Secretary at the UN for the Second Committee of the UNGA, said that Pakistan should leave the places it has seized in India and end cross-border terrorism in its right of reply. She pleaded on Pakistan to end its abuse of minorities’ human rights.
Petal Gahlot said, “Pakistan has to do three things in order for there to be peace in South Asia. First, it needs to end cross-border terrorism and quickly shut down its infrastructure for terrorism. Second, leave the unlawful and forced occupation of Indian lands. Third, put an end to Pakistan’s serious and ongoing abuses of minorities’ human rights.
A senior Indian diplomat reaffirmed that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are union territories that are part of India and that Pakistan lacks “locus standi” to comment on internal issues in India.
“We emphasise that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are union territories that are a fundamental part of India. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh-related issues are entirely internal to India, according to Petal Gahlot.
“Pakistan lacks the legal authority to weigh in on our internal affairs. Pakistan would do well to put its own house in order before attempting to raise a finger at the biggest democracy in the world since it has one of the poorest records on minority and women’s rights, she said.
A diplomat from India criticised Pakistan for spreading “baseless and malicious propaganda” on India at the UN General Assembly.
Gahlot made the following statement in her remarks: “Pakistan has turned into a frequent offender when it comes to exploiting this august venue to spread hostile and erroneous propaganda against India. The United Nations and other multilateral organisations’ members are fully aware that Pakistan uses this to divert attention from its own appalling record on human rights.
Gahlot asked Pakistan to take “credible and verifiable action” against the perpetrators of the 2011 Mumbai terror assault, claiming that Pakistan is home to the greatest number of terrorist organisations that are globally outlawed.
“The majority of the world’s terrorist organisations and individuals have had their headquarters and financial support in Pakistan. Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we call upon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks whose victims await justice even after 15 years,” Petal Gahlot said.
Petal Gahlot discussed the circumstances of the Christian and Ahmadiyya communities while highlighting the institutionalised violence in Pakistan against minorities. She discussed the Jaranwala event, in which Christian homes and churches were burned down.
The large-scale brutality committed against the minority Christian community in Jaranwala in Pakistan’s Faisalabad district in August 2023, where a total of 19 churches were destroyed and 89 Christian homes were burned down, was described as “a glaring example of the systemic violence against minorities in Pakistan” by the Indian diplomat.
She said, “The Ahmadiyya have received similar punishment, having had their houses of worship destroyed. The situation of women who are members of minority groups in Pakistan, particularly Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians, is still appalling.
She made reference to a report published by Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission which revealed that 1000 women from minority communities were subjected to abduction and forced conversion and marriage.
“According to a recent report published by Pakistan’s own Human Rights Commission, an estimated 1,000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction and forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan every year,” Petal Gahlot said.
Pakistan caretaker PM Kakar’s remarks came during his address to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today. He said, “Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbours including India,” and added that “Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India.”
India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pakistan’s support of cross-border terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together. At several international forums, India has also shown proof of Pakistan’s assistance for terrorist organisations. Pakistan’s caretaker PM however harped on what he called the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
