UN: Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachan has lashed out at Pakistan for denying human rights to the residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir(PoK).
She has warned Pakistan against attempts to misinterpret the 'right of self determination' to undermine the territorial integrity of a state.
"Pakistan should stop pretending to be protector of human rights in Jammu and Kashmir while denying such rights in areas of state occupied by it," she said addressing a UN Committee on Tuesday.
Jaya pointed out that India had held regular elections in the state, which fully meet the aspiration of the people, and Pakistan has hardly any such democratic elections.
In this context, she warned the international community against attempts to distort and misinterpret the 'right to self-determination' of a state.
"Ethnic or religious segregation and chauvinism cannot be legitimised on the ground that societies need to be constituted on homogenous lines before they can be tolerant towards diversity and accept multi-culturalism," she added.
Regretting that despite the end of colonial and imperialism, Bachchan asked the international community to renew its commitment to eliminate racism, xenophobia and related intolerance.
"The battle against racism has to be fought within societies in each nation so as to change thought-processes and attitudes," she said.
To this effect, action by states for promulgation of stringent national laws, their strict implementation, and the setting up of independent national institutions with powers to address manifestations of racism, needs heightened attention," she said.
The instruments of democratic governance in India provide necessary support for eliminating all forms of discrimination.
She warned against abusing any human rights, including right to self-determination, to encourage secession.
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