The Indian delegation led by Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Thakur Singh, rebutted Pakistan’s allegations on human rights violations in Kashmir on Tuesday at the 42nd session of the UNHRC in Geneva.
Also in attendance was former Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Ajay Bisaria, who was expelled by Islamabad after India revoked Article 370. Singh said there was a need to call out those who are “misusing” the United Nations Human Rights Council platform for “malicious political agenda under the garb of human rights.”
In a strong rebuttal, India said “this fabricated narrative comes from the epicentre of global terrorism, where ringleaders were sheltered for years.”
“This nation conducts cross-border terrorism as a form of ‘alternate diplomacy'” Singh said.
Spokesperson of MEA, Raveesh Kumar also tweeted the official statement of India for ‘setting the record straight.’
Setting the record straight.
India at the 42nd Session of the Human Rights Council – “The world is aware that this fabricated narrative comes from the epicentre of global terrorism, where ring leaders were sheltered for years.” https://t.co/XkfBDw3ted pic.twitter.com/dxf8TsjkM2
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 10, 2019
A 1985 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, Singh was envoy to Ireland when in July 2018 she was named Secretary (East). She took over the post on October 1 last year on superannuation of Preeti Saran on September 30.
Between April 1989 and December 1999, Singh served as Director in the Pakistan desk, in New Delhi, and Deputy Secretary (Pakistan), and Under Secretary (Afghan, Pakistan) section in the ministry.
Vimarsh Aryan, India’s First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to UNHRC, who delivered India’s Right of Reply to rebut the allegations of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, belongs to Jammu and Kashmir.
Aryan, who hails from Kishtwar, took on Pakistan for “pretending” to speak as the voice of the global community on human rights. “But the world cannot be fooled. Pakistan’s gory record speaks for itself”, he said.
Aryan drew global attention to “Pakistan’s persecution and elimination of religious and ethnic minorities, be it the Christians, Sikhs, Shias, Ahmadiyas and Hindus. This is the reason that Pakistan no longer publishes official statistics about its minorities as India does.”
Pakistan in its statement at UNHRC asked the council to constitute a commission of inquiry and provide full access to international media and the UN council to investigate the matter.
In his address, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Jammu and Kashmir had been converted into the “largest prison” with people being denied access to basic amenities following the abrogation of Article 370. He further spoke about the detention of political leaders in Kashmir and said the people have been “caged” there over the past six weeks.