‘Grave human rights violations’: India slams Pakistan at UNSC; terms fundamental rights ‘alien’ concept in Islamabad | India News

NEW DELHI: India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, on Friday called upon Pakistan to end the “grave and ongoing human rights violations” in areas “illegally occupied by it,” particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on ‘The United Nations Organization: Looking into the Future’, Harish reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir “has been, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.”“We call upon Pakistan to end the grave and ongoing human rights violations in the areas illegally occupied by it, where the population is in open revolt against Pakistan’s military occupation, repression, brutality and illegal exploitation of resources,” Ambassador Harish said during the session held on the occasion of the 80th UN Day.The envoy asserted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir “exercise their fundamental rights in accordance with India’s time-tested democratic traditions and constitutional framework,” adding that such concepts are “alien to Pakistan.”“Let me emphasise that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. The people of Jammu and Kashmir exercise their fundamental rights in accordance with India’s time-tested democratic traditions and constitutional framework. We, of course, know that these are concepts alien to Pakistan,” he said.Harish outlined India’s vision rooted in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the idea of the world as one family — which he said defines the country’s global outlook. “This is not only an outlook that anchors our worldview, but also the reason why India has consistently advocated for justice, dignity, opportunity and prosperity for all societies and peoples. It is also the reason why India places its faith in multilateralism, international partnerships and cooperation,” he said.Reflecting on the UN’s role since its inception, the ambassador said the organisation had become a “beacon of hope” for peace and decolonisation but now faces questions about its “relevance, legitimacy, credibility, and efficacy.”“The theme of this debate gains great salience at a time when the world’s largest multilateral organisation – the United Nations – faces questions related to relevance, legitimacy, credibility, and efficacy,” he noted.He added, “This organisation was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War as a beacon of hope for international peace and security. It advanced decolonisation; it has been instrumental in the emergence of new nation-states in the Global South; it drew up ambitious markers for economic growth, social development, and prosperity; it focused our minds on global challenges such as pandemics, countering terrorism and climate change.”October 24 marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945, after its ratification by a majority of signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council.