NAVEED SIDDIQUI
NEW YORK: During the General Debate of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Pakistan’s Counsellor, Ms. Saima Saleem, launched a scathing response to India’s statements. In a Right of Reply, Saleem vehemently challenged India’s narrative on several key issues. Pakistani diplomat claimed that India sponsors terrorism, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch insurgents.
Ms. Saleem asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is not a part of India and pointed to UN Security Council resolutions that call for a UN-supervised plebiscite to determine the region’s final status. She argued that India has failed to implement these resolutions. Saleem accused India of suppressing the Kashmiri people’s demand for self-determination and freedom. She claimed that over a hundred thousand Kashmiris have been killed since 1989.
The Pakistani Counsellor criticized India’s decision to announce the annexation of Jammu and Kashmir, citing an increased military presence and extensive restrictions imposed on the region.
Saleem highlighted that despite India’s occupation, Kashmiris continue to demand freedom from Indian rule, expressing loyalty to Pakistan.
She countered India’s portrayal of the Kashmiri resistance as terrorism, asserting that international law recognizes their struggle as just and legal.
Ms. Saleem referenced reports from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Rapporteurs, accusing India of committing war crimes and human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. She criticized India for denying access to these investigators.
She accused India’s BJP-RSS government of persecuting minority groups, including Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and “low-caste” Hindus. Saleem alleged multiple instances of violence and discrimination against these groups.
Saleem highlighted a recent massacre of Christians by Hindu tribes in North-East India and an increase in attacks against Christians in 2023.
She pointed out that thousands of crimes were registered against Dalits since 2018, and she mentioned the organized riots in 1984 that resulted in the killing of thousands of Sikhs at the Golden Temple.
In conclusion, Ms. Saima Saleem called on the international community to hold India accountable for its alleged human rights violations and to remove what she described as India’s sense of impunity. She argued that strategic interests should not shield India from scrutiny on the world stage.
