India Slams Pakistan Over Human Rights Abuses In Response To Islamabad's Accusations

India criticized Pakistan for its "unfounded and irresponsible allegations" voiced at the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR), drawing attention to continuing human rights abuses in the country

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2021) India criticized Pakistan for its "unfounded and irresponsible allegations" voiced at the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR), drawing attention to continuing human rights abuses in the country.

During the OHCHR interactive dialogue session on Tuesday, Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, urged the international community to hold India accountable for its actions in the Delhi-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. According to the envoy, India has allegedly enforced "torture, arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killing of Kashmiris," denied access to the international observers and forcefully silenced the media on the situation in the region.

In response, the Indian government issued a statement, condemning Pakistan for own human rights abuses.

"Pakistan has been doing this only to distract the Council's attention from the deplorable human rights situation in Pakistan. The plight of minorities in Pakistan is evident from their shrinking size.

"Forced conversions" have become a daily phenomenon in Pakistan," the statement reads.

India has further accused Islamabad of introducing "draconian blasphemy laws," vandalizing holy sited of religious minorities and cracking down on political activists.

Delhi has also called on the UN to hold Pakistan accountable for "aiding and abetting terrorism" as it allegedly hosts known terrorists on its territory and provides them with financial aid.

In 2019, the Indian government announced its decision to strip the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir region of its special status and split it into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The decision provoked a sharp reaction from neighboring Pakistan, which claimed that New Delhi was mistreating the region's Muslim population that was fighting for its rights. India, on its part, accuses Islamabad of backing separatists, who undermine the region's security.