Statement by Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, on Protecting and Promoting Human Rights as a Cornerstone of Building Resilience against Terrorism
(09 July 2020)
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Terrorism has a direct impact on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.
In Pakistan, we have achieved unparallel success in defeating terrorism.
Yet, India continues to malign Pakistan.
In fact, India is – literally - the largest and most pervasive purveyor of terrorism.
It has used terrorism as an instrument of its coercive policies against every one of its neighbors, especially Pakistan. It also terrorizes its own Muslim population.
Today, India is involved in at least 4 different types of terrorism.
- First India’s “State terrorism” against the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Since 1990, India’s terrorist army has martyred over 100,000 thousand Kashmiris, widowed 22,000 women, orphaned 108,000 children and raped more than 11,000 women. Yet, the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people remains strong and resilient. Day before, they observed the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of young Kashmiri leader, Burhan Wani. On 5 August, India sought to unilaterally change the status of the State of J&K, in violation of Security Council Resolutions. Since then, it has imposed an inhuman curfew and lockdown on 8 million people in the Kashmiris in the Vally; used brutal force against peaceful protestors; blinded hundreds of Kashmiris, including 4 year old children; imprisoned hundreds of Kashmiri political leaders; abducted 13,000 Kashmiri youth and tortured thousands; imposed collective punishments, including the destruction of entire neighbourhoods; harassed Kashmiri women; extra-judicially killed hundreds of boys and even refused to hand over their bodies for burials.
Several Human Rights Special Rapporteurs have issued a joint communication declaring India’s anti-terrorism legislation as incompatible with international human rights law. They have repeatedly sought answers from India about extra judicial killings and abductions. India has failed to answer.
The Indian civil and military personnel involved in the state terrorism, war crimes and crimes against humanity, must be brought to justice.
- Second Pakistan has ample evidence that Indian intelligence agencies are involved in sponsoring the TTP & JUA, which the UN Monitoring Team has confirmed are involved in cross-border terrorist attacks against Pakistani military and civilian targets. We have submitted the listing of several Indian terror masters to the 1267 Committee, including Ajoy Mistry, Angara Appaji and Gobinda Patnaik. We hope the 1267 Committee will put them on the terrorism list.
The TTP is responsible for numerous attack in Pakistan, including the one in which 142 school children in Peshawar were slaughtered.
India has the blood of our innocent children on its hands.
- Third India is financing and organizing mercenary terrorist organizations in the ungoverned areas of our neighbourhood to attack Pakistan and impede the implementation of the CPEC. These terrorist attacks include the one against the Chinese Consulate in 2018 and last month against the PSE in Karachi.
Indian culpability is in no doubt. India’s NSA, Mr. Ajit D Doval, has proclaimed that India will pay these mercenary terrorists more than anyone else to use against Pakistan. The captured Indian spy, Kulbhushan Jadhav, has confessed to organizing such terrorism in Pakistan.
- Fourth While addressing the Islamophobic terror attacks of white supremacist organizations, we cannot ignore India’s Hindu supremacist organizations, especially the fascist RSS, the Ruling BJP’s parent organization. For decades, these Hindu extremists have preached the violent suppression of India’s 180 million Muslims. Mr. Modi, a lifelong RSS member, was responsible for the pogrom in Gujrat in 2002 in which 2000 innocent Muslim children, women and men were killed. He escaped justice in India’s Courts. But there are court cases in the US still pending against Modi and his associates. Mr. Modi was denied a U.S. visa until he became Prime Minister.
Swami Aseemanand, the head of the RSS, operates a 60,000-armed militia and a number of terror camps; he has forcibly converted Christian and Muslims. He ordered terrorist attack against Pakistan citizens on the Samjhauta Express.
Last April, the BJP-RSS members perpetrated another pogrom against Muslims for protesting against India’s discriminatory citizenship laws, killing over 50 innocent Muslims.
These Hindu terrorists have been protected by the Indian state. They deserve to be on a Security Council terrorism list. One day, they must face justice.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Unless the world community confronts Indian terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, there will be no peace and stability in South Asia.
I thank you.