Pakistan's Attempt to Polarise & Politicise Kashmir Issue on the Global Stage Has Failed, Says MEA

New Delhi: The government on Thursday said Pakistan's attempt to polarise and politicise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) earlier this week has been rejected by the international community.

India and Pakistan engaged in a war of words over the Kashmir issue on Tuesday at the UNHRC, with New Delhi stoutly defending its "sovereign decision" to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status, an issue on which Islamabad demanded an international investigation by the global rights body.

"Pakistan's attempt to polarise and politicise the Kashmir issue at the UNHRC has been rejected," said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar at his weekly briefing here. "Repeating a lie does not make it the truth."

Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry Vijay Thakur Singh, who had spoken at the 42nd session of the UNHRC in Geneva, had slammed Pakistan's "malicious" campaign on the Kashmir issue and condemned "state-sponsored terrorism".

India had reiterated that the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status was India's sovereign decision and it cannot accept any interference in the country's internal affairs.

"At the United Nations Human Rights Council, our delegation put forth our stand. We responded to Pakistan's lies and distorted statements. The global community is aware of Pakistan's role in aiding terrorist infrastructure in their country," said Kumar.

The spokesperson added that it was quite audacious on the part of Pakistan, which is the epicentre of terrorism, to pretend to speak on behalf of the global community on human rights. "This is very rich. They need to understand repeating a lie doesn't turn it into gospel truth, which came out during the session," said Kumar.

"We are not surprised at Pakistan's hysterical statements with false narratives aimed to politicise and polarise this forum (UNHRC). Pakistan realises that our decision cuts away ground from under its feet by creating obstacles in its continuing sponsorship of cross-border terrorism," First Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Vimarsh Aryan had said in Geneva.

On Pakistan's decision to not provide consular access to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, Kumar said, "We will keep trying that the judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is fully implemented. We would like to remain in touch with the Pakistani side through diplomatic channels."

The former Navy commander has been sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan on the basis of extracted confession of "espionage and terrorism" following a closed trial in April 2017.