Pakistan should vacate occupied areas of India and stop cross-border terrorism: India at UNGA

Pakistan should vacate occupied areas of India and stop cross-border terrorism: India at UNG

New York: India has hit out at Pakistan after the country’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar predictably raised the Kashmir bogey in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

In its right to reply, the First Secretary at United Nations for the Second Committee of UNGA, Petal Gahlot said that Pakistan should vacate occupied areas of India and stop cross-border terrorism. She asked Pakistan to stop human rights violations against minorities in Pakistan.

Petal Gahlot said, “In order for there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pakistan needs to take are threefold first stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. And third stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan.”

She cited a report from Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission that said 1000 women from minority cultures had been kidnapped, forced into marriage, and converted against their will.

According to a recent report released by Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission, some 1,000 women from minority communities are reportedly pushed into forced marriages and forced conversions in Pakistan each year, according to Petal Gahlot.

Pakistan caretaker PM Kakar’s remarks came during his address to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today. He said, “Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbours including India,” and added that “Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India.”

India has expressed its concern over Pakistan’s encouragement of cross-border terrorism on numerous occasions and has argued that negotiations and terrorism cannot coexist. At numerous international forums, India has also shown proof of Pakistan’s assistance for terrorist organisations. However, the acting prime minister of Pakistan repeatedly referred to what he called Jammu and Kashmir’s illegitimate occupation.