United Nations: India has accused Pakistan's military of being the country's 'real rulers', saying the government in Islamabad cannot override the military's instructions, during an exchange at the United Nations over minority rights.
First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, Raghoo Puri, made the remarks during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues at the UN General Assembly's Third Committee on Saturday. He accused Pakistan of attempting to paint a 'propagandist picture' of India.
Puri said Islamabad's actions were aimed at diverting attention from its domestic challenges, including economic distress, lawlessness and human rights violations.
"What better way to deflect attention from a flailing economy, general lawlessness, and rampant human rights violations from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan," Puri said.
"But of course, the interest of the Fauj, the Pakistani army, who are the real rulers of the country, is supreme, and we fully understand the predicament of the Pakistani representative,” he said.
Questioning Pakistan's record on minority rights, Puri said the country's minority communities had shrunk dramatically since its independence.
Pakistan frequently raises the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at international forums, challenging India's position on the region.
Rejecting Islamabad's claims, Puri reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral and inalienable part of India. He said the only outstanding issue was the vacation of areas under Pakistan's illegal occupation.
"We would urge the Pakistani delegate to heed the counsel of her own countrymen, look inwards and focus on the well-being of her own citizens first," he said.
India invokes 'Form 47 government'
Puri also referred to Pakistan's ruling dispensation as the 'Form 47 government', a term used by critics to question the official results of the country's February 2024 general elections.
Form 47 is an official Pakistani election document that records the provisional, consolidated results of voting in a constituency. The 2024 general elections were marred by allegations of rigging and irregularities, with critics using the term to challenge the results.
"But we do understand, unfortunately, that the Form 47 government dare not override instructions from the Pakistani military," Puri said, adding that the interests of the armed forces took precedence.
The remarks came against the backdrop of longstanding concerns about the Pakistani military's influence on the country's political system.
India defends its record on minority rights
Turning to the Special Rapporteur's report on minority issues, Puri said India agreed that protecting and promoting minority rights was primarily the sovereign responsibility of individual countries.
"Following the principle of sovereign equality, issues internal to a country should be handled as per the rules and regulations that govern it. We stand ready to have an open and candid conversation in multilateral forums to address these complex challenges,” he said.
Puri described India as the world's most multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multilingual society, saying diversity had been central to its civilisation.
"We are proud of it," he said, pointing to constitutional provisions safeguarding the rights of religious and linguistic minorities.
He said members of minority communities had contributed significantly to India's economic, social and cultural development, including through positions in the country's highest constitutional offices, government institutions, the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, the film industry and the corporate sector.
Criticising Pakistan's record in this regard, Puri said he was "hard-pressed" to find comparable examples from the neighbouring country.
