At the high-level segment of the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, Indian envoy Anupama Singh attacked Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation over their claims – described as “envy” – over Jammu and Kashmir. Singh said Pakistan must live in “la la land” to not see development in Jammu and Kashmir.
The content of the signals made by Pakistan and the OIC during the high-level segment was not immediately known, but Chief Secretary Anupama Singh said on Wednesday that the “propaganda reeks of envy” in Islamabad, adding that India had “no desire to dignify it”, but would “make some points to dissect it with facts”.
“Jammu and Kashmir has always been and will always be an integral part of India. No amount of wishful rhetoric or bold propaganda by Pakistan can change the established fact that Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India was absolutely legal and irrevocable, in accordance with the Indian Independence Act, 1947 and international law,” Singh said at the session in Geneva.
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“Pac should live in La La Land.”
She added that the only outstanding issue in fact is the illegal occupation of Indian territory by Pakistan, and called on Islamabad to vacate the areas “under its forced occupation.”
“The record voter turnout in the general and legislative elections in Jammu and Kashmir testifies that its people have rejected the ideology of terrorism and violence promoted by Pakistan and are moving forward on the path of development and democracy,” she said.
“If the Chenab Railway Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world which was inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir last year, is considered fake, then Pakistan must be living in the land of ‘la la’,” she continued.
She said she might find it unreasonable that Jammu and Kashmir’s development budget is more than double the latest bailout package it requested from the International Monetary Fund.
Responding to criticism of democratic processes, Singh said that “it is difficult to receive lectures on democracy from a country where civilian governments rarely complete their term,” according to news agency ANI.
The 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council will be held from February 23 to 31.
