UNITED NATIONS: India slammed Pakistan at the UN Human Rights Council, saying a country with one of the world’s worst human rights records should confront the rampant State-sponsored persecution and systemic discrimination of religious minorities in its own society.
“We find it deeply ironic that a country with one of the world’s worst human rights records seeks to lecture others,” Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, K S Mohammed Hussain said while speaking during a General Debate at the 60th Session of Human Rights Council at Geneva.
“Their attempts to misuse this august forum with fabricated allegations against India only expose their hypocrisy. Instead of making baseless propaganda, they should confront the rampant State-sponsored persecution and systemic discrimination (of religious and ethnic minorities) that plague their own society,” Hussain said Tuesday without mentioning any country.
But it was a clear reference to Pakistan, whose representative, speaking before India, raked up the Kashmir issue.
India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country.
Hussain also said India has been steadfastly making efforts to ensure the fullest enjoyment of human rights by our people and to realize sustainable development. We must collectively reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of the VDPA.
VDPA, or the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted after the World Conference on Human Rights of 1993, is a milestone document that has strengthened the foundation laid by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the promotion and protection of human rights.