Anupama Singh, India”s First Secretary at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), delivered a resolute rebuttal to Pakistan, asserting that a nation entrenched in the persecution of minorities and marred by a dismal human rights record has lost its moral ground to critique India.
At the recent UN HRC session, Pakistan”s Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi expressed concerns about alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, calling for continued scrutiny by the HRC and the issuance of a third Kashmir report.
Responding decisively during the High-Level Segment of the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Singh dismissed Pakistan”s assertions, highlighting the irony of a nation “soaked in red—the red of bloodshed from sponsored terrorism, the red ink of economic turmoil, and the crimson hue of public disillusionment.”
“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 of its own people feel for their government having failed to serve their actual interests,” she said.
Singh reiterated India”s firm stance on the integral status of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, dismissing Pakistan”s interference in India”s internal affairs. She underscored Pakistan”s own human rights failings and its systematic oppression of minorities, contrasting it with India”s strides toward economic prosperity and social justice.
“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.
Singh then referenced a specific incident in 2023 where numerous churches and homes of Christians were razed in Jaranwala city, Pakistan, to highlight Pakistan”s complicity in supporting terrorism and its failure to address the needs of its populace.
Singh also drew attention to the incongruity of Pakistan”s criticism against India while harboring UN-sanctioned terrorists, juxtaposing India”s pluralistic ethos and democratic values as a beacon of contrast.
“A country that hosts and even celebrates UNSC-sanctioned terrorists, commenting on India whose pluralist ethos and democratic credentials are exemplars for the world, is a contrast for everyone to see,” she underlined.
Addressing Pakistan”s accusations against India, Singh lamented the misuse of the Council”s platform for baseless claims.
“With regard to the 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 accusations against India,” Anupama Singh said.
The ongoing exchange between India and Pakistan at the UNHRC session, which began on February 26 and continue until April 5, is part of a broader diplomatic discourse between the two nations, with India consistently emphasising the necessity of a terrorism-free environment for normal bilateral relations.
Pakistan”s current economic challenges, including low foreign exchange reserves, high inflation, and currency devaluation, have been noted. While international support has averted potential default, India”s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has emphasized that Pakistan”s future hinges on its actions and decisions, urging the country to address its economic woes effectively.
