Pakistan Army Chief Syed Asim Munir recently held a meeting with United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres in New York. During his talks with Guterres, Munir raised the Kashmir issue, reiterating the same old view-points of Pakistan on the matter. India has repeatedly on several occasions given a convincing reply on the points that were raised by Munir at the forum of the United Nations. In fact, Munir raised the Kashmir issue in meeting with the UN Chief only to divert the focus of the global body from a well-established fact that terror organisations continue to be harboured and patronized on the soil of Pakistan with the backing of the government agencies including ISI and Pakistani Army. What is more disappointing was that UNSG Guterres failed to give a stern message to General Asim Munir on terrorism and human rights violations in Pakistan. The UN Chief should have used the meeting with Munir to give a strong message to Pakistan that it is not doing enough to eliminate terror groups operating from territories under its control. He should also have called out the Pakistan Army for its role in human rights violations in various regions including Balochistan, and also for supporting anti-India activities. Guterres could have snubbed Munir when he raised Kashmir sidestepping the core issue of terrorism. Guterres cannot turn a blind eye to the evidence gathered by various UN agencies only lending credence to the fact that terror camps continue to enjoy safe haven in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. The UN chief is also aware of the inputs about the human rights violations and abuses in Balochistan shared by the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) during a press conference recently in London. During this press conference, several representatives and activists working with civil society shared testimonies that highlighted an urgent need for international attention. The civil rights activists termed the Pakistan Army as human rights abusers. There was an allegation that the Army under Munir had been jailing its political opponents. Many people on the BHRC platform were heard saying that “Pakistan Army supports Islamist terror domestically and in Afghanistan and in Kashmir”. The UN Secretary General should have therefore enough ground to convey his displeasure to the Army Chief Munir in the meeting. Unfortunately, Guterres did not do so despite having ample evidence showing Pakistan Army’s role in promoting jihadi terrorism against India. Did he forget the fact that the Pakistan Army sheltered Osama bin Laden? That the Pakistan Army backed Talibanisation of Afghanistan cannot be ignored, at the same time. So it was really odd for UNSG to receive the Pakistan military chief with a warm handshake and bright smile, given these unholy and sinister facts about the Pakistan Army. While displaying this gesture, Guterres ignored the warning issued by the United Nations itself to Pakistan saying that forcibly deporting Afghans from Pakistan could lead to severe human rights violations—including the separation of families and deportation of minors. The warning was seen in the background of the allegations by civil rights groups that Pakistan Army’s handling of the deportation process was leading to human rights violations. The meeting with Munir was an opportunity for Guterres to convey the message on all this, but he missed the chance. Only days ahead of this meeting, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj had drawn the attention of the elite global body to the issue of terrorism being promoted by India’s neighbouring country Pakistan. Kamboj called for zero tolerance on terrorism at the United Nations, saying that the country is aware of the perils of the diversion and illicit transfer of small arms and ammunition to armed non-state actors and terrorists. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also been using every single opportunity to give a message to the UN on how the international community needs to do a lot more to deal effectively with terrorism. Recently, Jaishankar asked the UN member states not to allow what he called “political convenience” to determine responses to terrorism, extremism, and violence. The UN Chief must have taken note of India’s views indicating that the global community’s approach towards terrorism leaves a lot to be desired. India’s another significant statement is in the records of UN, in which New Delhi said, “Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on India’s domestic matters. As a country with one of the world’s worst human rights records, particularly when it comes to minority and women’s rights, Pakistan would do well to put its own house in order before venturing to point a finger at the world’s largest democracy”.
