'Country That Speaks While Being Soaked In Red': India's Sharp Reply To Pakistan At UN Council

First Secretary Anupama Singh reiterated India's stance on the status of Jammu and Kashmir saying it is an integral part of India.

First Secretary Anupama Singh at 55th UN Human Rights Council

Source : X/@IndiaUNGeneva

India presented a resolute counter to Pakistan's allegations about the status of Jammu and Kashmir at United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday. Exercing India's 'Right of Reply', First Secretary Anupama Singh sharply refuted the allegations levelled by Pakistan and also highlighted the latter's track record on human rights in its own country. 

"With regard to extensive references to India made by Pakistan, we note that it is deeply unfortunate for the Council's platform to have once again been misused to make patently false allegations against India," Singh said. 

She reiterated Indian's stance on the status of Jammu and Kashmir, saying it is an integral part of India and measures taken in the region are country's internal matter. 

"The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and the constitutional measures taken by the Government of India to ensure socio-economic development and good governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are matters internal to India," the diplomat said. 

India exercises Right of Reply against Pakistan at #HRC55 pic.twitter.com/rdTMVWYmFT

— India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) February 28, 2024

"Pakistan has no locus standi to pronounce on matters that are internal to India," she added. 

The First Secretary pointed out Pakistan's own track record of human rights and highlighted the incidents of persecution against minorities like the 2023 attacks on the Christian community in Jaranwala city. 

"A country that has institutionalised the systemic persecution of its own minorities and has a truly abysmal human rights record, commenting on India, which is demonstrably making great strides in achieving economic progress and social justice, is not merely ironical but perverse," she said. 

"A glaring example was the large-scale brutality perpetrated against the minority Christian community in Jaranwala city, Pakistan in August 2023, when 19 churches were gutted and 89 Christian houses burnt down," she went on to say. 

"A country that hosts and even celebrates UNSC-sanctioned terrorists, commenting on India whose pluralistic ethos and democratic credentials are exemplars for the world, is a contrast for everyone to see," Singh said. 

In her concluding remarks, Singh made stauch comments on Pakistan's credibility poiniting out its involvement in terrorism and economic struggles. 

"We cannot pay any further attention to a country that speaks while being soaked in red - the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism it sponsors around the world; the red of its debt-riddled national balance sheets; and the red of the shame its own people feel for their government having failed to serve their actual interests," Singh said.