GENEVA: Pakistan has portrayed the local elections taking place in the Indian Occupied Kashmir as “farcical”, asserting that the United Nations remains committed to the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination.
“Any activity with the appearance of an election in an illegally occupied territory, with overwhelming military footprint, after banning political parties, incarcerating political leaders and torturing and killing thousands is only a farce with no legitimacy – not an election,” Pakistani delegate Danyal Hasnain told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday.
Hasnain was responding to the remarks made by his Indian counterpart Gaurav Thakur, who criticized an earlier Pakistan’s statement denouncing human rights abuses taking place in occupied Kashmir. Exercising his right of reply, the Pakistani delegate — without naming India — said he hoped that “this delegation” becomes sensitive to the lives that suffer under its illegal occupation.
“This delegation” , Hasnain said, “repeats, ad nauseam, the so-called unprecedented development in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” pointing out that all colonial enterprises hide behind “glittering but misleading” advertisement of development in the territories they occupy. “We also know that colonial projects have only ended in perpetuating exploitation, abuse and creating inter-generational inequalities,” he added. Denouncing the Indian delegate for trying to deflect the attention from the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, the Pakistani delegate said, ” The UN Security Council committed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir this inalienable right through various resolutions”, noting that UN Secretary-General has also affirmed to their applicability. .
Earlier, Over 100 countries expressed their support in various ways, both jointly and individually, for China’s position on issues related to China’s Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong regions and opposed the politicization of issues on human rights following statements made by the US and a handful of countries which smear China’s human rights situation during the ongoing 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The representative from Cuba made a joint statement on behalf of nearly 80 countries during the council, emphasizing sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in addition to non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries, are the basic norms of international relations, according to a release from the Permanent Mission of China to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland on Wednesday. –Agencies
