Pakistan providing pensions to terrorists, must be held accountable, says India at UN

Pakistan continues to “provide pensions to dreaded and listed terrorists” and host them in its territory, India said at the United Nations on Tuesday.

“The scourge of terrorism is the gravest violation of human rights and must be dealt with in strongest terms in all its forms and manifestations,” India said, adding that Pakistan should be held accountable for “aiding and abetting terrorism”. Pawankumar Badhe, First Secretary of Indian Permanent Mission in Geneva, made the comments at the 47th Session of the United Nations Human Right Council.

He was responding to an earlier statement made by Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Khalil Hashmi, who urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to ensure “realisation of fundamental rights” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Hashmi accused India of “demographic engineering” and use of “draconian laws” in the Union Territory.

In his reply, Badhe dismissed Pakistan’s allegations as “unfounded and irresponsible”. He said Pakistan was making the accusations in order to distract the UN body’s attention from the situation of minorities in the country.

“Forced conversions have become a daily phenomenon in Pakistan,” he said. “We have seen reports of minor girls belonging to religious minorities being abducted, raped, forcibly converted and married.”

Terrorists working with Pakistan can escalate situation: Bipin Rawat

Meanwhile India’s Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat has said that terrorists who operate with Pakistan Army can become “loose canons”, leading to an escalation of situation along the Line of Control, ANI reported.

In an interview to the news agency on Tuesday, Rawat accused Pakistan of “infiltration of weapons and drugs”.

“Ceasefire so far along LoC [Line of Control] is holding, which is a positive sign,” he said. “At the same time, we’re also witnessing infiltration of weapons and ammunition, using drones. It doesn’t augur well for peace as these drugs and weapons are meant to disrupt the internal peace process.”

Rawat added that disruption in internal peace would be contrary to saying that the ceasefire along the border holds. “The ceasefire doesn’t mean that you ceasefire along borders, but you at the same time create trouble in the hinterland,” he said.

In February, India and Pakistan had released a rare joint statement, announcing a ceasefire along the Line of Control. The declaration reaffirmed the commitment of the countries made during the 2003 ceasefire agreement.