By Chathushka Perera
Kabul, Pakistan (CWBN)_ Pakistan fortified itself within the United Nations Human Rights Commission today with an “overwhelming” 169 of 193 votes during an election process at the General Assembly held yesterday (13th October), in New York. The South Asian nuclear power will stand beside China, Cuba and Russia, which were also re-elected, and would continue to serve a three year term commencing on the 1st of January 2021.
The victory follows Pakistan’s re-election in to the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) in September with 96% of votes cast in its favour. Pakistani officials touted the win as a “resounding validation of its meaningful engagements”, and contributions made to the global economy and sustainable development since 1973.
The Pakistani Government under PM Imran Khan was elected in 2018 with a mandate to implement social justice, however, upon taking power the government has maintained an environment of hostility and restriction toward non-governmental organisations (NGOs), media and political opponents. Pakistan is also on the rise in terms of religious intolerance. The status quo on extrajudicial and ‘honour’ killings occur to this day with little sign of slowing down, while maintaining the world record in the number of prisoners on death row.
Owing to the position taken up in the UNHRC, Pakistan would indubitably impose swaying influence on its allegations of “ethnic cleansing in Kashmir” made against the Indian Government, which have been wholly denied.
Between 1989 and the early 90s’, Hindus living in the Kashmir region were forced to flee for their lives, having been targeted by Islamist terrorist groups, including the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, which was founded as a militant body rather than a political one. It has long since been alleged that Pakistan had a hand in the honey pot.
According to Indian government statistics, Kashmir is a predominantly Muslim region as opposed to Jammu, which was occupied by a Hindu population of 65.23%. However, it is stated that as per the findings of Political Scientist, Alexander Evans, roughly 160,000 – 170,000 Hindus fled the region and about 300,000 from the Jammu Kashmir region as a whole. Even though Pakistan places sole blame on its India rival, history indicates that since the Bijbehara massacre committed by the Indian Army in 1993, Pakistan has established an infamous reputation of genocide, bombings and assassinations.
Pakistan is also a notable factor in the Afghan conflict.
Ladakh is another region that has come under the public eye in the recent months following the tensions that ensued between China and India. Accordingly, about 47.4% of the population in the area are reported as Muslim and 45.87% as Buddhist, while just 6.22% are Hindu.
China, one of Pakistan’s strongest allies, was re-elected with 139 votes, despite multiple records of human rights violations. Human Rights Watch, a global organisation advocating and protecting human rights, stated in their last report (2020) that the Chinese Communist Party views human rights as an “existential threat” devised by the West. From the censorship of information and free speech to forced imprisonment of millions of ethnic minorities and political critics, Chinese influence has reached far beyond its borders, despite the checks and balances attempted by the international communities. The Communist Party continues flaunt its actions before the world by leaning on its economic gravitas.
