During Pakistan’s 4th Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on Monday, India blasted Islamabad for “sectarian violence and systemic persecution” of minorities, including Muslim minorities like Shias, Hazaras and Ahmadiyya.
India’s Allegations
Saying that Pakistan’s “human rights record has deteriorated drastically” since the last UNHRC review in 2017, Pawan Badhe, the Indian Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, noted that people in Baluchistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to “suffer political repression, persecution, and denial of their rights.”
India slams Pakistan on its Human rights Record at UNHRC review.
— Abhishek Jha (@abhishekjha157) January 30, 2023
Indian Diplomat Pawan Badhe states- "Minorities in Pakistan, including Muslim minorities like Shias, Hazaras and Ahmadiyya, have been subjected to sectarian violence and systemic persecution." pic.twitter.com/9ew1Rub8nz
“Extrajudicial abductions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and tortures have been used by Pakistan as tools of State Policy to target human rights defenders, political activists and journalists,” he asserted.
India’s Recommendations
Badhe called on Pakistan to “end systemic persecution of minorities, misuse of blasphemy laws, and forced conversions of minority community girls,” while urging Islamabad to “stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate political activities in Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
“Take credible, verifiable, irreversible, and sustained action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control,” he added.
At #UPR42, States recommended that #Pakistan:
— UN Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) January 30, 2023
- ratifies the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- ensures safeguards for the misuse of blasphemy laws
- increases access to education, especially for girls in rural areas
Pakistan’s Statement
Badhe’s statement came in sharp contrast to Pakistani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar’s opening address, wherein she described Pakistan as “a leading voice of the vulnerable and the oppressed,” adding that the country’s “human rights progress is overall on an upward trajectory.”
Pointing out that the country’s independent judiciary, legal community, and civil society have “played a vital role in public awareness-raising and advocacy about inclusivity, accountability, and transparency,” Khar acknowledged that “[Pakistan is] mindful of the need to sustain the momentum and overcome the challenges.”
MoS @HinaRKhar
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 30, 2023
-Also shared Pakistan’s intl. human rights contributions as leading voice of the oppressed & the vulnerable.
-Resolved to continue to build bridges & promote consensus & dialogue at UN human rights platforms. 3/3
“At international human rights platforms, Pakistan will continue to endeavor to build bridges and promote consensus, constructive engagement, and dialogue,” she affirmed, vowing to “leave no stone unturned to promote our citizens’ welfare, well-being, dignity, freedoms, and rights.”