Further statement delivered by Dr. Kajal Bhat, Counsellor at UNSC Open debate on Strengthening accountability and justice for serious violations of international law 

Thank you, Mr. President, 

I am constrained to take the floor again to respond to some of the falsehoods and malicious propaganda spread by the Representative of Pakistan as they are accustomed to do like a broken record. 

Today we are discussing how to strengthen accountability and justice for serious violations of international law. The irony is, perhaps, lost on the Representative of Pakistan given their shameful history of committing genocide in what was then East Pakistan and what is now Bangladesh over 50 years back for which there has not even been an acknowledgement, much less apology or accountability. 

Innocent women, children, academics and intellectuals were treated as weapons of war in an act of calculated genocide carried out by the Pakistan Army in what it called Operation Searchlight. The reign of terror unleashed by Pakistan on the population of the then East Pakistan saw hundreds of thousands were killed brutally. Several thousands of women were raped.   

My Minister said today morning, “The pursuit of accountability and justice cannot be linked to political expediencies.” The Representative of Pakistan presents a live example to this Security Council of how a state continues to evade accountability for serious crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing. To ask them to reflect on this is perhaps asking too much, but the least they could do is not sully the dignity of this Council. 

The only contribution that Pakistan can make is to stop its support for terrorism directed against my country and my people. 

The representative also spoke of so-called changes in composition in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The only attempts at demographic change are being perpetrated by terrorists supported by his country who have been targeting members of religious minorities in Jammu & Kashmir as well as those who refuse to toe their line. However, let me assure him through you, Mr. President, India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross-border terrorism.

Finally, let me correct another delusional statement from Pakistan. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. No amount of rhetoric and propaganda from any country can deny this fact.

As regards to his other remarks, we will not dignify those with a response.