India criticized Pakistan for its “mischievous provocation” and “political propaganda” after Islamabad raised the Kashmir issue during a recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting.
Diplomatic Response to Misinformation
During the UNSC’s Open Debate on “Women Building Peace in a Changing Environment,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P. Harish, condemned Pakistan’s remarks. He stated, “It is despicable yet entirely predictable that one delegation has chosen to indulge in mischievous provocation based on their tried and tested tactic of spreading misinformation and disinformation.”
Pakistan’s Political Propaganda
In his Right of Reply, Harish asserted that it was inappropriate to use such a significant debate for political propaganda. He emphasized the dire situation faced by women from minority communities in Pakistan, noting, “We are well aware that the condition of women belonging to minority communities, notably Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians in that country, remains deplorable.” He cited data from Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission, estimating that around a thousand women from these communities face “abduction, forced religious conversions, and forced marriages every year.” He concluded, “Anyway, I could go on, but I’ll end here.”
Kashmir Issue Revisited
This is not the first instance of Pakistan raising the Kashmir issue at international forums. Last month, during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on India to reverse its abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He likened the struggles of Kashmiris to those of the Palestinian people, stating, “Similarly, like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too, have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.”
India’s Strong Rebuttal
In response to Sharif’s comments, the First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, criticized Pakistan’s military governance and its reputation for terrorism. She stated, “This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy.” She highlighted the hypocrisy of a nation with a history of rigged elections criticizing democratic processes, while recounting various terror attacks orchestrated by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists on Indian soil.