News Excerpt:

Recently, In a strong retort to debt-trapped Pakistan after it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), India has said it cannot pay any attention to a country which is soaked in red due to the bloodshed from terrorism that it sponsors around the world.

Key Points:

• First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva exercised India’s Right of Reply at the ongoing high-level segment of the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 28, 2024.
• India exercised the Right of Reply to respond to Turkiye and Pakistan after the two countries made references to Kashmir in their statements at the high-level segment.
• India highlighted three points in its response to Pakistan's mention of Jammu and Kashmir at the UN platform. 
• The first one was that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an "integral and inalienable part of India" and the constitutional measures taken by the Indian government to ensure "socio-economic development and good governance" in the Union territories are "matters internal to India".
• "Two, a country that has institutionalised the systematic persecution of its own minorities and has a truly abysmal human rights record, commenting on India which is demonstrably making great strides in achieving economic progress and social justice, is not merely ironic but perverse.
• Third, A country that hosts and even celebrates UNSC-sanctioned terrorists, commenting on India, whose pluralistic ethos and democratic credentials are examples for the world, is a contrast for everyone to see.

About Right to reply in UNHRC:

• The right of reply in response to a statement is made in writing by a Head of State.
• Delegations should exercise their right of reply at the end of the day whenever two meetings have been scheduled for that day and whenever such meetings are devoted to the consideration of the same item. 
• The number of interventions in the exercise of the right of reply for any delegation at a given meeting should be limited to two per item. 
• The first intervention in the exercise of the right of reply for any delegation on any item at a given meeting should be limited to ten minutes and the second intervention should be limited to five minutes.
• Member states are allowed to exercise the right of reply, in which they can rebut criticism voiced during the General Debate.
• These are often fiery exchanges but aren’t typically delivered by prominent members of a country’s delegation. 
• India and Pakistan’s longstanding enmity practically guarantees they’ll be using the right of reply.