New Delhi: Pakistan refuses to mend its ways, a fact that India frequently calls out, not just at the border but also on the global stage. While Pakistan pleads for sympathy before the world, it simultaneously continues to perpetrate atrocities against its own minorities. India has once again exposed Pakistan’s duplicitous nature to the international community, highlighting its involvement in terrorism, suppression of religious freedom, and the mistreatment of minorities.
India reminded Pakistan and the world that it has no right to interfere in Jammu and Kashmir or in India’s internal affairs. First Secretary Bhavika Mangalanandan participated in a discussion with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, focusing on the issue of burial rights under extraordinary circumstances. During this exchange, India held up a mirror to Pakistan by highlighting its past misdeeds.
Pointing fingers at the ‘Global South’
First Secretary Bhavika Mangalanandan also took issue with the characterisation of the ‘Global South.’ She noted that the report unfairly attributed all the malpractices that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic solely to the ‘Global South,’ while completely overlooking similar, distressing situations that unfolded in developed nations. Furthermore, she pointed out that the report strongly advocated for the rights of terrorist individuals who themselves violate the most fundamental human right: the right to life.
A stern rebuke to Pakistan
Bhavika further remarked on the profound irony that a country which, in 1999, refused to even acknowledge the bodies of its own soldiers killed in the Kargil conflict is now speaking with great fervour about faith, religious freedom, and burial rights.
She also reminded the Pakistani representative that it was the Indian Army that had ensured several Pakistani soldiers were laid to rest with full military honours and in accordance with Islamic rites. Meanwhile, offering advice to Pakistan, Bhavika suggested that the country should redirect its intense obsession with the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir toward the development initiatives taking place in the parts of Jammu and Kashmir that are under its own illegal occupation (such as Rawalakot).
Persistent Tensions Between India and Pakistan
It is worth noting that a state of tension has consistently persisted between India and Pakistan. Pakistan refuses to desist from its nefarious activities, compelling India to respond accordingly. While Pakistan goes around the world trumpeting its supposed concern for Kashmir, its claims fall on deaf ears; India maintains that this is an internal matter and has consistently advised others against any interference. Pakistan-backed terrorist organisations frequently plot to unleash terror in India, yet their designs are invariably thwarted.
