India responds to Pak PM’s speech on 'impending refugee crisis'

India on Wednesday lambasted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for his "unwarranted and gratuitous comments" on the "impending refugee crisis in South Asia" and urged Islamabad to call for "partnership, not partisanship" instead of politicising the "internal matters" of New Delhi.

"Throughout history, India has welcomed refugees from all over the world. We categorically and unequivocally reject the unwarranted and gratuitous comments made in this forum by the Prime Minister of Pakistan which only reflects visceral and pathological prejudice against India," said India ambassador Rajiv Chander while addressing the first Global Refugee Forum at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) here.

"In addition to being disrespectful of the mandate of UNHRC and the spirit of the Compact, it is based on a poor understanding of the responsibility of co-convenership which is to mobilise political support not politicise and make a call for partnership, not partisanship," he added.

The remarks came after Khan while addressing the forum, a day before, said, "I want to tell the whole world that they should be aware of the biggest impending refugee crisis [in South Asia]."

He was apparently referring to the recently enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which promises Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghstan, who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.

The cricketer-turned-politician reached the heights of indecency after taking the global stage to be worried that the refugee crisis could lead to a "conflict between two nuclear-armed countries," triggering an alarmist situation of the region.

Taking the opportunity, Chander further stressed that Pakistan is "a self-proclaimed champion of human rights" that has shrunk the size of its own minority community from 23 per cent in 1947 to 3 per cent, today, by subjecting them to the draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions.

The ambassador also berated Khan for irking the global community, saying India has always welcomed those who were persecuted and provided succour to them. India has always been supportive of initiatives in this regard, despite our own developmental and security-related challenges.

"My government is only dealing with the resultant problem through democracy and due process, things alien to Pakistan," he told the forum.

"Citizens of India do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf, least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate. It would serve Prime Minister Khan and his country well if he focuses on the welfare of his own people and country," the ambassador added.

Pakistan has repeatedly criticised India on the global platform for revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, instead of taking care of the vulnerable condition of the minorities who are facing the constant threat of persecution on its own soil.

It is also worth mentioning, at the same time, that the United Nations, as well as the entire international community, has regularly condemned the extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances of Balochs, Ahmadiyya, and other minority communities by the Pakist establishment.

The ambassador concludingly stated that India would like to take the opportunity to renew and reaffirm our firm commitment to working together in the true spirit of global solidarity to find an end to the refugee problem.

Prior to this, New Delhi also "categorically" rejected a resolution adopted by Pakistan against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, saying that the move directly referred to matters that are "internal" to the country and is "a thinly-veiled attempt" by the Islamic state to peddle its false narrative on Kashmir.

( With inputs from ANI )