India takes Baloch issue to UN panel

New Delhi: Hitting back strongly at Pakistan at the 33rd session of UN Human Rights Council at Geneva, India raised the human rights violations committed by Pakistani forces in  Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while also accusing Islamabad of carrying out cross-border terrorism in J&K and “choreographing” the violence from across the border.

India rejected Pakistani allegations of human rights violations in J&K and pointed out to its (India’s) adherence to the rule of law.

This comes soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, making it clear that New Delhi’s strategy will be to expose Islamabad’s dismal human rights record.

According to reports, this was the first time ever that India had raised the Balochistan issue at the UN. “Pakistan has once again sought to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the garb of concern for human rights. This is a country, which has systematically abused and violated the human rights of its own citizens, including in Balochistan, as well as of the people of Pakistan-Occupied Kas-hmir.

“While advocating rest-raint to others, it has no hesitation in using air power against its own people. Pakistan also continues to provide sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists. It was, therefore, no surprise that Pakistan failed to convince the international community to secure the membership of the Human Rights Council last year,” India stated.

“Pakistan has alleged human rights violations in India. Our credentials as a peaceful, democratic, pluralistic society that is committed to the welfare of its people are well established. On the contrary, Pakistan is characterised by authoritarianism, absence of democratic norms and widespread human rights violations across the country including Balochistan. The institutions of governance in Pakistan have corroded to such an extent that it has become a hub for the global export of terror,” India said.