Geneva:Stepping up its offencive against Pakistan on the Balochistan issue at the UN Human Rights Council, India today said Pakistan is a nation that practises terrorism on its own people and the sufferings of the people of Balochistan are a telling testimony in this regard.

Exercising its right of reply, India, raising the Balochistan issue second time in three days at the UNHRC, said the irony of a nation that has established a well-earned reputation of being the global epicentre of terrorism holding forth on human rights.

“It surely is the height of hypocrisy for a Government that preaches, practises, encourages and nurtures terrorism to venture into the subject of human rights,” India said.

In the last two decades, the most wanted terrorists of the world have found succour and sustenance in Pakistan. This tradition unfortunately continues even today, not surprising when its Government employs terrorism as an instrument of state policy, India said.

The current disturbances in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir have their origins in the death in police action of a self-proclaimed terrorist commander of Hizbul Mujahideen with links to the ‘deep state’ across the border, it added.

India also said it has seen continuous flow of terrorists trained and armed by our neighbour and convincing proof that they have been tasked with creating incidents that would lead to casualties in the civilian population.

“There cannot be a more cynical policy that targets the very people for whom such deep concern is professed… The pervasive practice of terrorism is not targeting India alone.

Many of our neighbours have suffered as grievously from cross-border terrorism and interference in their internal affairs,” it said.

Pakistan keeps referring to UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. However, it very conveniently forgets its own obligation under these resolutions to first vacate the illegal occupation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

“It was stated that Jammu and Kashmir is under foreign occupation. Yes, a part of it is, and the occupier in question is Pakistan,” India said.

Asserting that the foremost challenge to stability in Kashmir is the scourge of terrorism, which receives sustenance from Pakistan and the territories under Pakistan’s control, it said Pakistan’s attempt, seeking to mask its activities as though an outcome of domestic discontent, carries no credibility with the world. .

India said that concrete evidence about cross-border encouragement and support for the protests in Kashmir has been handed over to Pakistan. But, “instead of working with a sense of purpose to address this issue, Pakistan resorts to short- sighted tactics to divert attention, as we have once again seen today”.

India has a robust institutional framework in place to ensure adherence to rule of law and respect for fundamental rights of the people. It includes independent judiciary, National Human Rights Commission, vibrant civil society and free and vocal media, it said.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have chosen and reaffirmed their destiny repeatedly through India’s well-established democratic processes. Free, fair and open elections are regularly held there at all levels. Pakistan, on the other hand, has witnessed continuous degradation and weakening of its institutions.

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is administered by a ‘deep state’ and has become an epicenter of terrorism.

Pakistan’s human rights record in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Balochistan is deplorable. It has had no hesitation in using air power and artillery against its own people, not once but repeatedly over the years, India said, adding that it is high time for Pakistan to do some deep introspection.

“We would once again urge Pakistan to focus its energies on improving human rights situation and dismantling the terrorism infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. This would go a long way in bringing peace and stability to the region and beyond,” India added.

PTI