India has lashed out at Pakistan in strong terms at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) after Pak's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during his address at the event. Advising the neighboruing nation to put its own house in order, India highlighted the systemic violence against minorities and large-scale brutality against Christians and women among others in Pakistan.
Reacting to Kakar’s statement on Jammu and Kashmir, India called Pakistan a "habitual offender" of misusing the forum to "peddle baseless and malicious propaganda against India". Indian diplomat and First Secretary at United Nations for 2nd Committee of UNGA, Petal Gahlot asked Pak to look at its own "abysmal" record on human rights.
"Pakistan has become a habitual offender when it comes to misusing this August forum to peddle baseless and malicious propaganda against India. Member states of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations are well aware that Pakistan does so to deflect the international community's attention away from its own abysmal record on human rights," Gahlot said.
She reiterated India’s stance that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir are an integral part of India and matters pertaining to the UTs of J&K and Ladakh are "purely internal to India. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our domestic matters..."
"As a country with one of the world's worst human rights records, particularly when it comes to minority and women's rights, Pakistan would do well to put its own house in order before venturing to point a finger at the world's largest democracy. A glaring example of the systemic violence against minorities in Pakistan was the large-scale brutality perpetrated against the minority Christian community in Jaranwala, in Pakistan's Faisalabad District in August 2023, where a total of 19 churches were gutted and 89 Christian houses were burnt down," Petal Gahlot said, as quoted by ANI.
Quoting a report from Pakistan's own Human Rights Commission, Gahlot said that an estimated 1,000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction, forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan every year.
"The condition of women belonging to minority communities in Pakistan notably Hindu Sikhs and Christians remains deplorable. 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, forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan every year. Pakistan has been the home and patron to the largest number of internationally prescribed terrorist entities and individuals in the world," she added.
India reminded the terror-breeding nation of the gruesome Mumbai 2008 attacks and asked it to take action against the perpetrators as the victims still await justice even after 15 years.
"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. In order for there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pakistan needs to take are threefold. First, stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. And third, stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan, " the Indian diplomat said.
What Pakistan Said At UNGA
Earlier, Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said that Kashmir is the key to peace between New Delhi and Islamabad. Speaking from the stage of the UNGA during the General Debate of the 78th session, he said Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all its neighbours, including India, PTI reported.
"Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India," he said.
"Development depends on peace. Pakistan is situated in the least economically integrated region in the world. Pakistan believes that regions develop together therefore [the country] desires peaceful and productive relations with all neighbours, including India," Kakar said.
He also called on the UN Security Council to secure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir, adding that the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) should be "reinforced".