New York: India slammed Pakistan on the issue of religious freedom of minorities at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Using its right to reply, India’s representative Seema Pujani slammed 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 delivered 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 8463 complaints. The Baloch people have borne the brunt of this cruel policy. Students, doctors, engineers, teachers and community leaders are regularly disappeared by the state, never to return back,” said Pujani.
She also highlighted the plight of Christians in the country and how they are mistreated 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 incomparable. A bill which proposes a five-year jail term for anyone who scandalizes or ridicules the military or the judiciary is currently on the table in Pakistan’s parliament,” said Pujani.
