India asks Pak to stop support to terrorists, pay attention to welfare of its own people

PTI, Feb 28, 2020, 10:46 AM IST

Geneva: India on Thursday, February 27 asked Pakistan to stop its active support to terrorist groups and devote more attention to the well being of its own people, particularly the persecuted religious minorities in the “failed state”.

India’s strong statement against Pakistan came at the ongoing 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva where Pakistan raked up the amended citizenship law and the Kashmir issue.

“Our advice to our neighbor would be to desist from such actions and devote more attention to the well being of its own citizens in particular persecuted religious minorities, which are suffering due to rampant misgovernance in this failed state,” an Indian representative said in a National Statement read out at the session.

Pakistani media has recently reported a number of cases of forced conversions and marriages of minority Hindu and Sikh girls in the Muslim-majority country.

On the issue of Kashmir, the statement informed the Council that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was fast returning to normalcy despite serious provocations and attempts made by one country to derail this process through its active support to terrorist groups and related entities.

“Security forces have exercised maximum restraint and not a single live bullet has been fired and no civilian life has been lost in police action.

“India’s democratic institutions are robust enough to respond to these external challenges while protecting and respecting the human rights of all,” the statement said.