Geneva: At the 54th Session of the Human Rights Council, India came down hard on Pakistan for using the forum for their baseless allegations against New Delhi and also highlighted the prevailing atrocities against the minorities in the neighbouring country.

PR Thulasidhass, Under Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Permanent Mission of India at the United Nations Human Rights Council, speaking on behalf of India, mentioned the recent attack on the Christian community in Pakistan and accused Pakistan of failing in providing basic human rights to them.

India said, “Pakistan has failed miserably in protecting the rights of its ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, and Shia Muslims, who are systemically persecuted on a daily basis and deprived of their human rights, especially their freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression and right to life.”

The statement from India added, “In contrast to the empty rhetoric delivered by the Pakistan delegation in the Council, only last week, nearly 75 graves and minarets of two worship places belonging to the Ahmadiya community were demolished by the Pakistan police and radicals in Punjab province. Tension still grips Daska city as the radicals threaten to raze the minarets of a historic worship place of this community that was declared non-Muslim by the Pakistani Parliament in 1974.”

PR Thulasidhass informed the Council that in August this year, over 19 churches were gutted and 89 Christian houses burnt down in broad daylight in Jaranwala in Pakistan’s Faisalabad district by vigilante mobs on allegations of blasphemy.

“In the face of the Human Rights Committee’s recommendations to repeal or amend its blasphemy laws, which carry a potential death sentence and have been misused to target minorities, Pakistan recently enhanced minimum punishment for those who insult revered personalities from three to ten years,” India added in its statement.

India also pointed out the situation of minorities in Pakistan and mentioned the report published by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an estimated 1,000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction, forced conversion and marriage in the country every year.

The statement read, “The condition of women belonging to minority communities remains just as deplorable. According to a recent report published by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an estimated 1,000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction and forced conversion and marriage in the country every year.”

Raising the voice of the people of Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Thulasidhass added, “The Council must also pay attention to the continued sufferings of millions of people in Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.