New Delhi: India on Thursday criticised Pakistan for its atrocities against its minorities and stated that the world does not require democracy and human rights lessons from a nation that has made an unparalleled contribution to the globalization of terrorism, reported news agency PTI.
Under Secretary Dr. P R Thulasidass also called on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security, and well-being of its minority communities rather than engaging in pointless propaganda and attempting to foment communal discord in India, exercising India's right to respond at the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council General Debate.
"From a country where terrorists thrive and roam its streets with impunity, the world does not need lessons on democracy and human rights. Pakistan's contribution as a leading exporter of terror and violence is unparalleled," Thulasidass said as quoted by PTI.
He underlined that Pakistan is home to upwards of 150 UN designated terrorists and terrorist entities listed by the UN, and these banished people have effectively campaigned and contested in elections.
"Can Pakistan deny the fact that impunity reigns supreme in the country as perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks continue to roam free?...Can Pakistan deny the fact that the world's most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden was found living in Pakistan near a military academy, sheltered and protected by the deep State?" he asked.
Declaring that Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and will everlastingly stay an indispensable piece of India, Thulasidass said that the union territory is walking towards harmony and thriving alongside the rest of India.
"This is despite Pakistan's repeated attempts to derail the process, through its active and sustained support to terror groups and its malicious disinformation campaign against India. The delegate of Pakistan has voiced Pakistan's frustration due to its failure in its malicious propaganda against India," the Indian diplomat said.
According to Thulasidass, India's pluralistic democracy is mature enough to deal with any issues, including those brought on by outsiders.
"India is a secular State and safeguarding the rights of minorities forms an essential core of our polity. What minorities receive in Pakistan are blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, discrimination, denial of basic rights and freedoms, enforced disappearances and killings," he said.
The Indian diplomat stated that Pakistan today stands out as the country having more cases of blasphemy than the rest of the world put together in the past few years. The diplomat noted that the extent of religious discrimination is reflected in the loss of life, liberty, and property on the mere accusation of blasphemy laws.