Geneva: India sharply criticized Pakistan at the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, calling out its “hypocrisy” on human rights and highlighting the persecution of minorities within the country.
Representing India, diplomat Mohammed Hussain described it as “deeply ironic” that a nation with one of the world’s worst human rights records would lecture others. “They misuse this forum with fabricated allegations against India, which only expose their hypocrisy,” he said during the 34th council meeting. Hussain urged Pakistan to address its “state-sponsored persecution and systematic discrimination” against religious and ethnic minorities instead of resorting to propaganda.
In response at the 35th meeting, Pakistan’s envoy Abbas Sarwar accused India of deflecting attention from the “dire human rights situation” in Jammu and Kashmir. He reiterated Islamabad’s stance on Kashmir, alleging that India’s actions in Ladakh reflect the “truth of India’s illegal measures of August 2019.”
The exchange came amid growing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Nasir Aziz Khan, spokesperson for the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), addressed the UNHRC, urging international intervention against what he described as Pakistan’s intensifying repression in the region.
Khan cited recent protests in PoJK, including a full shutdown and wheel-jam strike on September 29 led by the Joint Awami Action Committee. He accused Islamabad of deploying Rangers, suspending internet services, and imposing communication blackouts to suppress dissent. “More than three million Kashmiris in PoJK are under siege, while two million abroad are cut off from their families,” he said, calling the measures a deliberate attempt to silence peaceful resistance.
Muzaffarabad, the PoJK capital, has witnessed protests over unmet demands, including lower electricity tariffs, subsidized wheat flour, and improved healthcare. What began as a peaceful strike turned violent, leaving at least three dead and more than 22 injured. Protesters also demand the removal of 12 legislative seats reserved for refugees settled in Pakistan, citing distorted representation.
The Pakistani government has responded with heightened security, including flag marches, deployment of Rangers, and suspension of phone and internet networks in key districts.
Earlier, a seminar held during the UNHRC session also highlighted worsening human rights conditions in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
