Religious Minorities Can’t Live & Pray Freely in Pakistan: India at UNHRC

India slammed Pakistan on the issue of the religious freedom of minorities at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Using its right to reply, India’s representative Seema Pujani made a scathing statement targeted at her Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar. “No religious minority can freely live or practice its religion in Pakistan today. The Ahmadiya community continues to be persecuted by the state for simply practicing their faith,” the Indian diplomat said.

Seema also pointed out that her Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar has once again chosen to misuse the UNHRC platform for malicious propaganda against India.

“In the last decade, Pakistan’s own commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances has received 8,463 complaints. The Baloch people have borne the brunt of this cruel policy. Students, doctors, engineers, teachers, and community leaders are regularly disappeared by the state, never to return back,” said Seema.

She also described the pathetic state of Christians in Pakistan. “Equally worse is the treatment of the Christian community. It is frequently targeted through draconian blasphemy laws. State institutions officially reserve sanitation jobs for Christians,” she said.

According to her statement, underage girls from minority communities are converted to Islam abetted by a predatory state and an apathetic judiciary. Hindu and Sikh places of worship are being targeted.

The Indian diplomat also slammed Pakistan for supporting terrorism, saying, that Pakistan’s “security agencies have nurtured and sheltered Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar for decades”.