Pakistan A Death Trap For Journalists: India Tells UNHRC

Slamming the “fabricated words” presented by Pakistan, India on Wednesday at the United Nations Human Rights Council highlighted that incessant efforts on its part to malign India in all international forums is not going to change the fact that hundreds of journalists and human rights defenders die each year in Pakistan due to systematic killings including extrajudicial ones.

Pawan Badhe, First Secretary at Permanent Mission of India to UN said: “No fabricated words against India is going to change the fact that Pakistan and territories under its control are deathtraps for journalists, human rights defenders, social activists and religious and ethnic minorities.”

Addressing the vice president of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Badhe exercising India’s ‘Right of Reply’ at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said, “Perennial India bashing project of Pakistan in the UN system is also not going to change the fact that hundreds of journalists and human rights defenders die each year in Pakistan due to systematic killings including extrajudicial ones.”

“Incessant attempts to maligning India in all international forums is not going to change the fact that tens of thousands of minorities would not stop fleeing Pakistan,” he added.

Referring to Pakistan’s single-minded focus to malign India in the international forums, Badhe said that it demonstrates its “own hollowness when it comes to accountability and justice for oppressing those standing for their rights”.

“The pathetic state of affairs for journalists and human rights defenders is well known when the deep state could make prominent journalists disappear in broad daylight at the heart of Pakistan. We only could imagine the fate for those journalists and human rights defenders in territories under its control,” he said.

The First Secretary said that silence is the apt word for those effected through enforced disappearances, murders, detentions, custodial deaths and torture in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Pakistan occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

In his UNHRC address, Badhe said that Pakistan is yet to understand the “real meaning” of modern laws, democracy and human rights.

“While the world has progressed well, Pakistan is still at the crossroads to understand the real meaning of modern laws, democracy and human rights. The language of accountability, civic space, fundamental freedoms, public participation is yet to find resonance with the authorities of Pakistan,” he said.

While concluding, the First Secretary urged Pakistan not to make a mockery of the UNHRC.

“Pakistan should not make a mockery of this august forum when it attempts to self-crown as an ardent supporter of political dissidents, journalists, social activists, minorities and human rights defenders. For that Pakistan has miles to go,” he said. (ANI)