‘Pakistan obsessed with us while its people battle for livelihood’, says India’s representative Seema Pujani
New York: India has slammed Pakistan on the issue of religious freedom of minorities at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), an ANI report in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says
Using its right to reply, India’s representative Seema Pujani accused her Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar saying, “No religious minority can freely live or practice its religion in Pakistan today. The Ahmadiya community continues to be persecuted by the state for simply practising their faith.”
Responding to the statement by Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, Pujani said, “Pakistan’s representative has once again chosen to misuse this august forum for its malicious propaganda against India.” The Indian Representative also shed light on the issue of enforced disappearances.
“In the last decade, Pakistan’s own commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances has received 8,463 complaints. The Baloch people have borne the brunt of this cruel policy. Students, doctors, engineers, teachers and community leaders regularly disappear, never to return,” said Pujani.
She also highlighted the plight of Christians in the country.
“Equally worse is the treatment of the Christian community. It is frequently targeted through draconian blasphemy laws. State institutions officially reserve sanitation jobs for Christians,” said Pujani.
She also raised concern over a “predatory state and an apathetic judiciary,” regarding the conversion of underage minority girls.
“Underage girls from the community are converted to Islam abetted by a predatory state and an apathetic judiciary. Hindu and Sikh communities face similar issues of frequent attack on their places of worship and forced conversion of their underage girls.
The state’s crackdown on those who wish to raise their voice against any of these heinous policies is also is equally disgraeful. A bill, which proposes a five-year jail term for anyone who scandalises or ridicules the military or the judiciary is currently on the table in Pakistan’s parliament,” said Pujani.
“Equally worse is the treatment of the Christian community. It is frequently targeted through draconian blasphemy laws. State institutions officially reserve sanitation jobs for Christians,” said Pujani.
The Indian diplomat also crriticised Pakistan for supporting terrorism, saying, that Pakistan’s “security agencies have nurtured and sheltered Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar for decades”.
“When it is not entirely focused on suppressing its own population, Pakistan actively lends its energies to aid, host and abet international terrorists. It has the unique distinction of hosting the most number of UNSC-designated terrorists and terror organizations.
“Allow me to recall that Osama bin Laden lived next to Pakistan’s premier military academy. Its security agencies have nurtured and sheltered Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azar for decades. These are but a few dreaded names from the annals of Pakistan’s history of supporting terrorism. Pakistan’s policies are directly responsible for the death of thousands of civilians around the world. Pakistan’s obsession with India, while its population battle for their lives, livelihood and freedom is an indicator,” she added.
**************************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken the small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com
