New Delhi/Geneva: India at the human rights council tore into Pakistan’s allegations on Kashmir, saying it was ironic that the world’s leading exporter of terror and violence sought to lecture others about human rights.
Strongly defending the government’s decision to reorganize Jammu & Kashmir state and the temporary restrictions placed in Kashmir last year, India’s representative Vikas Swarup in Geneva, said, “Despite Pakistan’s best efforts — over decades — to destabilize the state through externally-instigated terror and a campaign of canards and untruth, the situation on the ground is quite normal.”
Reiterating India’s position that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever remain an integral part of India,” Swarup said, the “transformative changes wrought by our Parliament” were meant to strengthen the integration of the state and “give fullest play to representative government from the grassroots level upward.”
Swarup asserted that the measures of the government are already showing positive results. Giving details about the situation in Kashmir, he said, political processes have resumed, telecom facilities have been largely restored, developmental activities are being undertaken at a rapid pace and educational institutions have reopened. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies are well-stocked and staffing is at full capacity, he added.
All of it has been achieved “despite Pakistan’s frenetic attempts to promote both violence within our territory –with an 81% increase in infiltration attempts since last August– and disinformation outside.”
Describing terrorism as a global challenge and Pakistan as an epicenter of global terrorism, Swarup said, “Terrorism is the most pernicious violation of a fundamental human right, that is, the right to life.”
As a nation that has suffered for decades from cross-border terrorism, India calls for decisive action against those who direct, control, fund, abet or shelter terrorists, he said.
