India calls UN report on human rights abuse in Kashmir ‘fallacious’

India calls UN report on human rights abuse in Kashmir ‘fallacious’

News

1. UN released its first human right report on Kashmir, India calls it fallacious.

Important facts

2. About report

• The report focused on the human rights situation in the State between January 2016 and April 2018 during which violence escalated.
• The report covers the State of Jammu and Kashmir and the part of the Kashmir i.e. under Pakistan control.
• UN said the report is based on information through sources in Jammu and Kashmir rather than on actual ground report across LoC
• This is because neither India nor Pakistan has granted access to border area across LoC

3. Main finding of the UN report

• The report calls on India and Pakistan to respect their human right obligations
• The report urged India to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol.
• It asks India to repeal AFSPA, and establish independent investigation to probe civilian killings since 2016
• The Act is used widely in counter-terror operations in Kashmir and cause of suffering for large number of people
• It urges Pakistan to end misuse of Anti-terror legislation to prosecute those who are engaged in peaceful, political and civil activities, and shows dissent.

4 India’s reaction

• India rejected the report and calls it fallacious
• India calls the report is ‘selective compilation of unverified information’
• The report violates India’s Sovereignty and Integrity as description of Indian Territory in report is misleading. India consider ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ and ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’ as an Integral part of India not a separate entity.
• The report failed to take into account the global consensus on terrorism. The report describe internationally designated and UN-recognized terrorist entities as ‘armed groups’ and terrorists as ‘leaders.’

5. Pakistan in its response said that UN has to play a key role to resolve problem of Jammu and Kashmir