India condemned Pakistan on Saturday for engaging in "mischievous provocation" and "political propaganda", while alleging that the situation of women from minority communities in the neighboring nation is still "deplorable."
Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on women, peace, and security, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador P. Harish also criticized Islamabad for bringing up the Kashmir issue at the global forum.
“It is despicable yet entirely predictable that one delegation has chosen to indulge in mischievous provocation based on their tried and tested tactic of spreading misinformation and disinformation,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.
“We are well aware that the condition of women belonging to minority communities, notably Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in that country, remains deplorable,” said Harish.
Harish cited data from Pakistan's Human Rights Commission to claim that every year, almost a thousand women from these communities are abducted, forced to convert to another religion, and forced into marriage.
Harish, meanwhile, reaffirmed India’s commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, and noted that sustainable peace requires women's full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation at all levels of decision-making.
“Needless to say that economic and social well being of the population in general and women in particular are integral to sustainable peace,” he said.
Slamming Pakistan for raking the Kashmir issue at the global forum, Harish said it's completely misplaced to indulge in such political propaganda at this important annual debate.
Pakistan had always tried to raise the Kashmir issue at key UN meets, especially after the abrogation of Article 370.
Last month, Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), had demanded that India reverse its decision to scrap the special status to Jammu and Kashmir.