'They refused...own soldiers' bodies': India questions Pakistan's burial rights position
What's the story
India has called out Pakistan for not accepting the bodies of its soldiers killed in the 1999 Kargil War while the Indian Army buried them with military honors and full Islamic rites. Diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan made this statement during an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, pointing out the irony of Pakistan preaching on faith and religious freedom and burials while failing to acknowledge its own fallen soldiers.
Pakistan
'Deeply ironic that a state...'
She said, "It is deeply ironic that a state that did not even accept the bodies of its own soldiers who were killed...in Kargil, unabashedly speaks with a fervor on faith, religious freedom and burials."
She questioned the report's position on the funeral rights of terrorists, arguing a terrorist not only kills innocent people but also damages the psyche of a nation.
"It's a prize....the fervent advocacy for the rights of terrorists...does not similarly extend to the victims of terrorism."
Territorial focus
India rebukes Pakistan for 'obsession' with Jammu and Kashmir
India also slammed Pakistan for its "obsession" with Jammu and Kashmir, asking Islamabad to pay attention to territories it occupies illegally.
"Pakistan's deep obsession with what is happening in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir should be actually directed at the developments that are underway in the parts of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation," she said during the interactive dialogue.
Rights
'A state that cannot ensure safety of its own minorities...'
She said, "In Pakistan, the number of minorities is shrinking, and their rights are regularly abused," adding that "a state that cannot ensure the safety of its own minorities has no standing to lecture India."
Her comments come amid renewed concerns over religious discrimination and alleged forced conversions in Pakistan.
An interfaith dialogue in Hyderabad recently raised concerns about Hindu girls' abductions and forced conversions, highlighting ineffective legal safeguards due to poor implementation.
Terrorism allegations
Mangalanandan questions report's bias toward Global South
Mangalanandan also questioned the UN report's approach to religious discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said it focused on Global South countries while ignoring similar issues in developed nations.
"As per the report, all discrimination and wrong practices during COVID-19 supposedly took place only in the Global South. What benefit does a report derive by not mentioning similar tragic situations in the developed world?" she asked, warning against politicizing human suffering for political gain.