An auto rickshaw burnt during the clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir. (Source: File/Express Photo) An auto rickshaw burnt during the clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir. (Source: File/Express Photo) India on Thursday rejected the United Nations report on “human rights situation in Kashmir” calling it ” fallacious, tendentious and motivated,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. Adding that the report is a “selective compilation of largely unverified statements,” the Ministry said that the report “violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and “questioned the intent” behind it. “The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the Indian state through aggression,” it added. In a first of its kind report on the alleged human rights violations, the United Nations sought an international inquiry into these abuses. Asserting that there was an “urgent need” to address the past and ongoing human rights violations, the report said, “any resolution to the political situation in Kashmir should entail a commitment to ending the cycles of violence and accountability for past and current human rights violations.” Adding that “people on both sides of the Line of Control have been detrimentally impacted and suffer from limitations or denial of a range of human rights,” the report also asked neighbouring country Pakistan to end its “misuse” of anti-terror legislation to quash dissent. “Despite the Government of Pakistan’s assertions of denial of any support to these groups, experts believe that Pakistan’s military continues to support their operations across the Line of Control in Indian-Administered Kashmir,” the global human rights watch body said. This is for the first time the UNHRC has issued a report on the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. (With inputs from agencies)<doc-sep>India said the report is overtly prejudiced and seeks to build a false narrative. (Photo: Reuters/Danish Ismail) India on Thursday rejected United Nations (UN) report of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) as "fallacious, tendentious and motivated". "India rejects the report. It is fallacious, tendentious and motivated. We question the intent in bringing out such a report, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson said. MEA added that the report is a selective compilation of largely unverified information. It is overtly prejudiced and seeks to build a false narrative." Also read: Army jawan visiting hometown abducted from Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch The UN today released a first of its kind report on alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, by both India and Pakistan, and sought an international inquiry into these abuses. Asserting that there was an "urgent need" to address the past and ongoing human rights violations, the report said, "Any resolution to the political situation in Kashmir should entail a commitment to ending the cycles of violence and accountability for past and current human rights violations." "The report violates Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the Indian state through aggression," the MEA said. Also read: Top Hizbul commander, Sameer Tiger gunned down in Pulwama India has already conveyed its view and protest against the report to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (With PTI inputs) Watch: India Today accesses list of 10 most dreaded terrorists in Kashmir<doc-sep>New Delhi: India directly targeted the UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein after he called on the Human Rights Council to set up an international investigation following the release of the first ever UN report on human right violations in Kashmir. On Thursday, the United Nations issued a 49-page report that was mainly focused on the “situation of human rights in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir from July 2016 to April 2018 over which period allegations of widespread and serious human rights violations were received, notably excessive use of force by Indian security forces that led to numerous civilian casualties”. The report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) asserted “impunity for human rights violations and lack of access to justice are key human rights challenges in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir”. It described special laws like the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA), as having “created structures that obstruct the normal course of law, impede accountability and jeopardize the right to remedy for victims of human rights violations”. In a separate statement accompanying the release of the report, Hussein urged the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to “consider establishing a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir”. In a sharp response, India rejected the report as being “fallacious, tendentious and motivated”. Questioning the “intent” of the report, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Ravish Kumar pointed fingers at the human rights commissioner. “Our protest and views in the matter have been conveyed unequivocally to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We are deeply concerned that individual prejudices are being allowed to undermine the credibility of a UN institution,” he said. The reference to “individual prejudices” was an implicit accusation from New Delhi that Hussein has been biased against the Indian government. The Indian spokesperson described the report as “selective compilation of largely verified information”, “overtly prejudice” which “seeks to build a false narrative”. Stating that terrorism is the most “egregious violation” of human rights, he noted that the authors of the report “conveniently ignored the pattern of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and territories under its illegal control”. “Cross-border terror and incitement is aimed at suppressing the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, disrupting its political and social fabric and undermining India’s integrity,” he added. On the topic of cross-border terrorism, the OHCHR report notes that despite the Pakistan government’s denials of support to terror groups, “experts believe that Pakistan’s military continues to support their operations across the Line of Control in Indian-Administered Kashmir”. The Indian statement especially picked fault over the terminology used by the report – describing Burhan Wani as a “leader” of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Similarly, groups of like HuM and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba were described as “armed groups”. “It is disturbing that those behind this report have chosen to describe internationally designated and UN-proscribed terrorist entities as “armed groups” and terrorists as “leaders”. This undermines the UN led consensus on zero tolerance to terrorism,” said Kumar. It also criticised the report for “incorrect description” of Indian territory and asserted that there were “are no entities such as ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ and ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’.” Kumar claimed that the report violated India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, reiterating that the “entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India”. “The motivated report deliberately ignores that fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution to every Indian citizen, including in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, are protected also by an independent judiciary, human rights commissions, free and vibrant media and an active civil society. Such malicious reports cannot undermine the will of the people and the Government of India to take all measures necessary to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from cross border terrorism.” The UN human rights chief had first approached India and Pakistan for access to Kashmir in July 2016 after rise in violent clashes following the killing of Burhan Wani. But India had rebuffed the proposal. Pakistan had stated that it would be willing to allow access to a UNHRC delegation, but only after India admitted human rights inspectors to its side of Kashmir. There was cross-party support for the Indian government’s rejection of the report. The principal opposition, Congress described the report as a “prejudiced attempt by vested interests to hurt India’s sovereignty & national Interests”. The OHCHR report claimed that from July 2016 to March 2018, 145 civilians were killed by Indian security forces, while 20 civilians were killed by “armed groups” in the same period. It deplored the use of “pellet-firing shotgun” as “one of the most dangerous weapons used against protests in 2016”. Citing statistics of the Jammu and Kashmir government, the report noted that 17 people were killed and 6221 were injured by metal pellets over 2016 and 2017. There was also specific mention of the use of a “human shield” by an Indian army major, noting that he was commended for this act by the army chief in May 2017. The report also called for ending “arbitrary bans” on newspapers in Kashmir and restrictions on access to internet and mobile telephone networks. It recommended that India should allow “independent, impartial and credible investigations into all unmarked graves in the state of Jammu and Kashmir as directed by the State Human Rights Commission; if necessary, seek assistance from the Government of India and /or the international community”. It also suggested that powers of the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission should be expanded to investigate all human rights violations and abuses in the state, including those allegedly committed by central security forces”. There was also a recommendation for investigation of “all cases of abuses committed by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir, including the killings of minority Kashmiri Hindus since the late 1980s”.<doc-sep>India rejects UN report on human rights violation in Kashmir as 'fallacious' NEW DELHI: India slammed a UN Human Rights Council report on Thursday, which roundly criticized its actions in Jammu & Kashmir. Despite the trenchant response, it showed diplomatic lapse by the Indian government that it failed to put forward India's views on a report that was essentially a one-man mission.Releasing its first-ever report by the UN on the human rights situation in Kashmir on either side of the Line of Control (LoC), the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, "called on Indian security forces to exercise maximum restraint, and strictly abide by international standards governing the use of force when dealing with future protests, including ones that could well occur this coming weekend." "It is essential the Indian authorities take immediate and effective steps to avoid a repetition of the numerous examples of excessive use of force by security forces in Kashmir," Zeid said.In an angry response which showed India had been caught off-guard, the MEA spokesperson described the report as "fallacious, tendentious and motivated", violating Indian sovereignty and "a selective compilation of largely unverified information ... overtly prejudiced and seeks to build a false narrative." The report comes at a time when a ceasefire prevails in J&K during the Ramzan period, and some people here see it as a pressure tactic against the Indian government.The report is a sort of a last hurrah by Al Hussein, who completes his tenure this year and the UN General Assembly will appoint a new chief. Neither India nor Pakistan allowed the OHCHR office access to Kashmir, so Hussein said the report was a result of "remote monitoring". India has an active presence at the UN office in Geneva, but its diplomats failed to pre-empt such a damaging report. However, MEA said it has "conveyed unequivocally" its protest to the OHCHR.Dilip Sinha, former vice-president to UN Human Rights Council said, "This is a mischievous report because it comes from the obsession with Kashmir by the OIC. This is a case of slamming a country which provides rights to its people and allows NGOs and media to operate, whereas, in Pakistan, they describe the "problem" as more "structural in nature" and lets the country off! "Despite Indian protests, the report is very damaging in image terms for India. While no member state has asked for any such report to be commissioned, the fact is, the OHCHR actually does function in an autonomous manner. It comes at a time when India is not even on the UN Human Rights Council. Sources said the report had been sent to the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council.The report, unfortunately, provides any country with a grouse against India to run with this and call for a resolution or an inquiry. While the chances of this going through are very slim, it does mean that Indian diplomats in different capitals and in the UN headquarters will have to work extra hard to eliminate such possibilities, which actually raises the costs of diplomatic capital.The OHCHR has been a veritable activist and has used his position to lash out at India earlier. The report makes no mention of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, while India is particularly exercised about it describing Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM), "internationally designated and UN-proscribed terrorist entities as "armed groups" and terrorists as "leaders". This undermines the UN-led consensus on zero tolerance to terrorism. "The report is somewhat critical of Pakistan but positively savage on India, including describing areas as "Azad Kashmir" and "Gilgit-Baltistan" which is used by Pakistan but not India. He focuses mainly on the situation in J&K after the Burhan Wani killing in 2016. "It is essential the Indian authorities take immediate and effective steps to avoid a repetition of the numerous examples of excessive use of force by security forces in Kashmir," Zeid said. "It is also why I will be urging the UN Human Rights Council to consider establishing a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir." The OHCHR asked Pakistan to end its "misuse" of anti-terror legislation to persecute peaceful activists and quash dissent. Pakistan, however, welcomed the OHCHR report and the recommendation for an inquiry.The report sought repeal of the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA) "urgently" and also "immediately remove the requirement for prior central government permission to prosecute security forces personnel accused of human rights violations in civilian courts." "Impunity for human rights violations and lack of access to justice are key human rights challenges in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," the report says, noting that AFSPA and Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 (PSA) have "created structures that obstruct the normal course of law, impede accountability and jeopardize the right to remedy for victims of human rights violations. "In what is seen here as a half-hearted effort to "balance", the report says, "Despite the Government of Pakistan's assertions of denial of any support to these groups, experts believe that Pakistan's military continues to support their operations across the Line of Control."<doc-sep>
The first-ever report issued by the United Nations on the situation in Kashmir has detailed alleged human rights violations and abuses on both sides of the Line of Control. “The political dimensions of the dispute between India and Pakistan have long been centre-stage, but this is not a conflict frozen in time,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, according to a statement issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “It is a conflict that has robbed millions of their basic human rights, and continues to this day to inflict untold suffering.” Noting the continuing tensions in recent weeks, Al Hussein called on Indian security forces to exercise restraint and abide by international standards governing the use of force when dealing with future protests, including ones that could well occur this coming weekend. “I will be urging the UN Human Rights Council to consider establishing a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir,” said Al Hussein. He further said that it is essential the “Indian authorities take immediate and effective steps to avoid a repetition of the numerous examples of excessive use of force by security forces in Kashmir”. The OHCHR was not given unconditional access to either side of the Line of Control, but it undertook remote monitoring to compile the report, according to the statement. The focus of the report is the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir from July 2016 – when large and unprecedented demonstrations erupted after Indian security forces killed Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani – to April 2018. According to the report, Indian security forces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a very high number of injuries. The report cited civil society estimates that up to 145 civilians were killed by the security forces from mid-July 2016 till the end of March 2018, with up to 20 other civilians killed by armed groups in the same period. The report also examines violations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The report says restrictions on freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association in “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” and in Gilgit-Baltistan have limited the ability to obtain information about the situation. “Impunity for human rights violations and lack of access to justice are key human rights challenges in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” the report says, adding that Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act 1990 and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 have “created structures that obstruct the normal course of law, impede accountability and jeopardise the right to remedy for victims of human rights violations”. First-ever @UNHumanRights report on #Kashmir calls for international inquiry into #humanrights violations and abuses on both sides of the Line of Control: https://t.co/8SeQ9tlhZU pic.twitter.com/P7OSNj6HJl — UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) June 14, 2018 India calls it ‘fallacious and motivated’ The Ministry of External Affairs said the UN report violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also described the report as “fallacious, tendentious and motivated”. “We question the intent in bringing out such a report,” the ministry said, according to PTI. The ministry said the report was “overtly prejudiced” and builds a “false narrative”. “The report violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the MEA. “The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the Indian state through aggression.”