India on Tuesday urged the United Nations to reject the first report submitted by the human rights high commissioner that has detailed alleged human rights violations and abuses in Kashmir.
“It should be a matter of deep concern for the council that this report undermines the UN-led consensus on terrorism and in fact, legitimises terrorism by referring to the UN designated terrorist entities as “armed groups” and calling terrorists “leaders”,” Rajiv K Chander, the permanent representative of India in UN, said in a statement, according to The Economic Times. “Surely, the council cannot be oblivious of this attempt to legitimise terrorism, which remains the pernicious violator of all fundamental rights.”
In the report, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said that the conflict in Kashmir has robbed millions of people of their basic human rights, and continues to inflict untold suffering. Noting the continuing tensions in recent weeks, Al Hussein called on Indian security forces to exercise restraint and abide by international standards governing the use of force when dealing with future protests, including ones that could well occur this coming weekend.
“I will be urging the UN Human Rights Council to consider establishing a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir,” said Al Hussein.
Echoing the Ministry of External Affairs’ stance that the report was fallacious and motivated, Chander said, “This selective compilation of largely unverified information, aimed at promoting a false narrative, distorts the truth... The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in forcible and illegal occupation of a part of the Indian state. We condemn all references in this report which seek dismemberment of India.”
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