India slams UN Human Rights body report on J&K

India on Monday lodged a strong protest with the UN rights office over its report on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that it is merely a continuation of the earlier "false and motivated" narrative and ignores the core issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

New Delhi:India has slammed the updated report of the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Jammu and Kashmir which was published on July 8. The second report on J&K from OHCHR accused India of gross human rights violation in the valley.

In a written reply, the MEA spokesperson's office said, "The update of the report of the OHCHR is merely a continuation of the earlier false and motivated narrative on the situation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir."

India's Foreign Ministry claimed that the assertions in OHCHR are in violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and ignore the core of cross border terrorism.

The MEA said, 'a situation created by years of cross border terrorist attacks emanating from Pakistan has been analysed without any reference to its casualty. The update seems to be a contrived effort to create an artificial parity between the world's largest and the most vibrant democracy and country that only practices state-sponsored terrorism.'

India has also alleged that the human rights body has undermined its own credibility in its updated report by distorting India's policies, practices and values.

'It's a failure to recognise an independent Judiciary, Human Rights Institutions and other mechanisms in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that safeguard, protect and promote constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to all citizens of India is unpardonable,' said the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson's office.

India also reminded the UN Human Rights Body that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country. It even repeated saying that Pakistan has illegally and forcibly occupied Gilgit-Baltistan and the PoK region.

India also alleged that updated report from OHCHR has wilfully ignored the determined and socio-economic development efforts undertaken by the government.

The Ministry ended its statement claiming that India will follow zero-tolerance policy towards and will take all measures to protect its territorial integrity.