Pak should practice tolerance towards their minorities, good neighbourliness towards us: India at UN

India on Tuesday hit out at Pakistan over its gross human rights violation, promoting terrorism and treatment of minorities, saying that Islamabad should practice tolerance towards their minorities and "good neighbourliness" so that the South Asian region sees "eternal peace".

Exercising India's Right to Reply at the 43rd session of UNHRC here, Vimarsh Aryan, First Secretary, said, "It is very unfortunate, however, not unexpected from the deep state of Pakistan which is continuing incessant abuse of its membership of this august Council for propagating an illegal, immoral and inhuman territorial ambition."

"However, what we are witnessing in Pakistan is unabated torture, maiming and systematic persecution of religious minorities. The attacks on a Hindu funeral procession and a Christian church couple of days ago in Sindh and Punjab provinces, respectively, portray the horrific plight of various minorities in Pakistan," he said.

Aryan referred to Pakistan as "epicentre of global terrorism".

"This epicentre of global terrorism very irresponsibly harps on self-determination of the already democratic Jammu and Kashmir, but very conveniently ignores that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) very explicitly state that the principle of self-determination must not be used as a garb to promote activities detrimental to the territorial integrity and political unity of Member States in violation of the UN Charter," he said.

"I would ask Pakist delegation to properly understand Part I, Para 17 of the VDPA on terrorism, before pretending to be a promoter of Human Rights, while most grisly of the human rights violators i.e. terrorists breed under its nose," added Aryan.

He urged Pakistan to practice tolerance towards its minorities and good neighbourliness.

"I would once again invoke VDPA to ask Pakistan to abjure its territorial ambition which is grossly violative of all human rights. Instead, they should practice tolerance towards their minorities and good neighbourliness towards us so that the South Asian region sees eternal peace the absence of which can mostly be attributed to Pakist deep state," he said.

The Indian diplomat further pointed out that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have openly acknowledged the support and inter-operational linkages between their state machinery and the UN-proscribed terrorist orgsations.

"As the biggest victim of the cross-border terrorism emanating from this pernicious cradle of terrorism, we would like to inform this Council that Pakistan is a country whose former President and Prime Ministers including the incumbent one have openly acknowledged the support and inter-operational linkages between their state machinery and the UN-proscribed terrorist orgsations," he said.

Aryan said that Jammu and Kashmir has always been and will continue to be a part of India.

"Jammu and Kashmir has been, is and will continue to be an integral part of India and Pakistan should cease to covet it," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )