In a scathing rebuttal at the United Nations, India slammed Pakistan for failing to address rampant sexual violence against women, particularly from minority communities.
Speaking at an open debate in the UN Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence on Tuesday, India’s Charge d’Affaires Eldos Mathew Punnoose said Pakistan’s record on the issue was “shameful.”
“The utter impunity with which the Pakistan army perpetrated heinous crimes of gross sexual violence against hundreds of thousands of women in erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971 is a matter of shameful record. This deplorable pattern continues unabated and with impunity to this day,” Punnoose said.
His remarks came after Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad digressed from the debate’s theme – “Identifying Innovative Strategies to Ensure Access to Life-Saving Services and Protection for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones” – to target India over Kashmir.
Punnoose accused Pakistan of weaponising sexual violence against women from religious and ethnic minorities.
“Rampant abduction, trafficking, early and forced marriages of children and domestic servitude, sexual violence and forced religious conversions of thousands of vulnerable women and girls as weapons of persecution towards religious and ethnic minority communities are reported and chronicled, including in the recent OHCHR reports,” Punnoose said.
Citing atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, Punnoose said: “Ironically, those who perpetrate these crimes are now masquerading as champions of justice. The duplicity and hypocrisy are self-evident.”
He also charged Pakistan’s judiciary with “validating the acts” instead of punishing perpetrators.
Highlighting India’s commitment to addressing sexual violence, Punnoose pointed out that India was among the first contributors to the UN Secretary-General’s Trust Fund for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.
“The Secretary General’s Trust Fund in support of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse is an important resource which should be further strengthened. India was among the first nations to contribute to this fund and remains committed to supporting such victims,” he said.
“Our dedication to the cause can be seen from the fact that in November 2017, a voluntary compact was reached between the UN Secretary-General and the Government of India on commitment to eliminate sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping, humanitarian and development work,” he added.
Punnoose stressed that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has deployed female engagement teams in peacekeeping missions, which have been “tremendously successful” in working with local communities and victims.
Domestically, he said, India has established the Nirbhaya Fund dedicated to women’s safety and support.
“India established the Nirbhaya Fund, a non-lapsable fund with approximately USD 1.2 billion for women’s safety. It is dedicated to ensuring safe environments for women, implementing legislation effectively, and creating a comprehensive infrastructure for swift justice and crisis support. Member states could consider creating similar dedicated resources,” he said.
Punnoose also cited reports by OHCHR documenting “significant gendered harms” faced by women in Pakistan, including those detained on blasphemy charges.
A comprehensive review of the situation in Pakistan by the OHCHR’s Human Rights Committee in December said it “remains concerned about the high level of violence against women and girls, including murder, rape, kidnapping and domestic violence.”
The Committee also highlighted the human rights situation in Balochistan, citing reports that participants in the Aurat (Women’s) March faced “enforced disappearances, torture, excessive use of force and mass and arbitrary arrests.”
In his concluding remarks, Punnoose reaffirmed India’s commitment to combating sexual violence and protecting women.
“As I conclude, allow me to once again reassert India’s unwavering commitment to root out sexual violence in armed conflict and support and assist survivors of such heinous crimes,” he said.
(with inputs from agencies)