Geneva: Jammu and Kashmir ‘was, is and shall forever’ remain an integral part of India, top Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup asserted at the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) meeting here n Wednesday, a day after Pakistan sought the international community’s intervention on the Kashmir issue.
Speaking at the 43rd session of the UNHRC which is being held here in Switzerland from February 24 to March 20, Swarup, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), described Pakistan as the ‘epicentre of global terrorism’. He called for decisive action against those who direct, control, fund and shelter terrorists, in an obvious reference to Pakistan, which is accused by its neighbours of providing safe havens to terror groups.
“It is more than a little ironical that a nation that has become the world’s leading exporter of terror and violence seeks to lecture others about human rights. Jammu and Kashmir was, is and shall forever remain an integral part of India,” Swarup asserted.
His reply came a day after Pakistan’s Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari alleged that India continues to violate the human rights of the Kashmiri people and demanded the immediate repeal of all actions taken by India, August 5 last year.
India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.
Swarup said the transformative changes ‘wrought by our Parliament last August were meant to strengthen the integration of the State… It was intended to ensure the extension of all progressive legislations passed for the entire country to cover this region, and to resume the pace of socio-economic development in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir’.
Despite Pakistan’s best efforts – over decades – to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir through externally-instigated terror and a campaign of canards and untruth, the situation on the ground is quite normal, he said.
“Most temporary restrictions – imposed solely to ensure safety of the people from Pakistani trained terrorist attacks – have already been removed, political processes have resumed, telecom facilities have been largely restored, developmental activities are being undertaken at a rapid pace and there is access for all to education and healthcare,” Swarup added.
Agencies