At the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly summit, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, brought world’s attention to the gross violation of human rights in Indian-held Kashmir and the degrading of Muslim and other minorities, by the hardline BJP government of Narendra Modi. India, on the other hand, has viciously attacked and accused Pakistan of sponsoring anti-state activities and harboring terrorists.
On 23rd September 2022, at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly summit of world leaders in New York, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif addressed the forum and highlighted the challenges that his country faces today. After detailing the vast destruction caused by the recent floods, he also voiced concerns on how Afghanistan and India are impacting Pakistan.
Since the formation of a new interim government in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has been a steadfast supporter of its neighbor. It has taken in thousands of fleeing Afghan refugees and provided urgent humanitarian aid. Despite its best attempts to support the Afghan regime and the people, Pakistan is still facing almost daily terrorist attacks originating in Afghanistan.
Expressing his frustration, Sharif blamed the Afghan regime for not taking concrete steps to stop terrorist incursions in to Pakistan. The Prime Minister named ISIS-K, TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), Al Qaeda, and JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammad), as the main groups carrying out these attacks. He further stated that one of Pakistan`s most wanted terrorists, Maulana Masood Azhar of JeM, is based in their country and asked the authorities to arrest and hand him over to Pakistan.
These remarks upset the Afghans who vehemently denied the allegations, saying they were unsubstantiated. Considering, in a previous statement, the Taliban claimed that they will arrest and try for ‘”treason” anyone using Afghanistan’s soil against Pakistan or other countries, as skepticism grows over the Islamist group’s counterterrorism assurances to the world at large.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued this warning in a recent VOA interview, amid a recent spike in cross-border terrorist attacks that have killed dozens of Pakistani security personnel.
Maulana Masood Azhar heads one of the outfits that has been a source of Indo-Pakistani tensions. The outfit is also mentioned in the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) action plan that Pakistan has been implementing since June 2018.
Regarding India, the PM again brought to the attention of the world community, the gross violation of human rights in Indian-held Kashmir and the degrading of Muslim and other minorities, by the hardline BJP government of Narendra Modi. He informed the participants of the suppression of the freedom of the press, stifling of dissent, unlawful mass arrests of activists and promotion of anti-muslim sentiments in the country. In this context, he requested leading Muslim countries such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia to boycott the upcoming G20 summit, which is to be held in India this year, as a protest against Modi government policies.
The HRW’s World Report 2022 also speaks about the increasing intolerance and minority rights/\’ violations in India.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi described people participating in various peaceful protests as ‘parasites’…Hundreds of thousands of farmers, many of them from the minority Sikh community, protesting amendments to farm laws since November 2020, were accused by BJP leaders and pro-government media of having a separatist agenda,” the report highlights.
Once a secular state, the country has been taken over by right-wing Hindu nationalists, who have polarized the society. It is now divided by religion and ethnic background and targets mainly Muslims.
“Modi`s government is undertaking a project to remake India’s democracy unlike any in its 75 years of independence-stifling dissent, sidelining civilian institutions and making minorities second-class citizens.”, wrote Mujib Mashal, New York Times Bureau Chief for South Asia.
Such draconian and harsh steps by India have not escaped the attention of the world community, including the U.S, Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken who, too, has expressed these sentiments to the Modi Government.
India, on the other hand, has viciously attacked and accused Pakistan and China of human rights’ violation at the UN summit. It accuses Pakistan of sponsoring anti-state activities and harboring terrorists. It added that how Pakistan can accuse India of minority discrimination when in their own country forced marriages of Hindus and Sikhs into the Muslim faith are occurring. The Indian spokesman reminded the world of the Mumbai attacks allegedly carried out by Pakistani agents. This blame game by India is a reflection of its exceptionalism in its interactions with Pakistan and China, as well as its need for false narratives while defending its own vested interest.
India also took exception to the Biden administration’s decision to release US$450 million for the upgradation of Pakistan’s F-16 aircraft. Referring to the argument made by the US that the F-16 sustenance package is to fight terrorism, Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India had said everybody knows where and against whom F-16 fighter jets are used.
“You’re not fooling anybody by saying these things,” he said in response to a question during an interaction with Indian-Americans.
“We don’t view our relationship with Pakistan, and on the other hand, we don’t view our relationship with India as in relation to one another. These are both partners of ours with different points of emphasis in each,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
This clearly is a policy shift by the Americans who lean on the Pakistan Armed Forces -the de facto decision-makers – whenever Washington needs quick decision to suits its national interests.
But let’s be realistic. India is now the world’s 5th largest economy. And to counter growing Chinese influence and power globally the U.S needs India in its orbit. It has an expanding technological infrastructure and has improved trade ties with the world. For the Americans and its allies, India is their best bet against Chinese dominance in the world trade. As an example, Apple computers have recently shifted their manufacturing base from China to India, where all their handsets are to be assembled for worldwide sales.
Again, by virtue of its economic strength, India is not shy or worried about its relationship with Moscow. It is still purchasing Russia oil from at a discounted rate, despite pressures and dissuasion from the U.S and its European allies. For the Europeans, who are eager to cement a free trade agreement with India, the focus is on trade and geopolitics and has sadly put human rights on the back burner. But there is no denying in the fact that India, as important as it may be to the world for trade and for countering China, is openly pursuing an agenda of discrimination and hatred towards its Muslim minority, led by the Modi government, and falling on deaf ears to the West. But the geo-political contest with China and economic interests in general continue to hold the US-led west from censuring India for the radical wave of nationalistic sentiment as well as the growing oppression of non-Hindu minorities. This weapon – human rights – it seems is deployed only countries such as Pakistan and China.
