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Rights group alleges genocide by Pakistan at UN

The complaint builds on years of documented abuses and marks a renewed push for international accountability in light of recent violence, including the Pahalgam killings.

Hindus Advancing Human Rights India (HAHRI), an initiative of HinduPACT / HinduPACT

A formal complaint filed by Hindus Advancing Human Rights India (HAHRI), an initiative of HinduPACT, is gaining international traction following the Apr.22 massacre of 25 Hindus in Pahalgam, which the complaint alleges was sponsored by Pakistan. 

The attack, according to HAHRI, exemplifies what it calls the "drip-drip genocide" of Hindus in the region and underscores the urgency of the complaint submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The complaint, formally lodged with the UNHRC, accuses Pakistan of violating Article 2 of the 1948 Genocide Convention. It is signed by 60 individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds, including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, and ex-Muslims from India, Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Kenya. The signatories include rights groups, scholars, authors, and former officials from institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank, and U.S. Department of State.

The complaint alleges that "genocide is being committed by every level of Pakistan's state machinery and its fanatical citizens." It notes a sharp decline in the population of religious minorities in Pakistan, from 23 percent in 1947 to three percent today as physical evidence of systematic violence and persecution.

It also outlines a pattern of abuse, citing reports by UN Special Rapporteurs and Pakistani government sources: the abduction and forced conversion of Hindu and Christian women and girls; school textbooks promoting hatred; widespread use of false blasphemy charges; and the desecration of non-Muslim religious sites. It links these actions to "an Islamist ideology rooted in Pakistan’s founding hatred and a quest for a purer Islamic state," despite a 1950 pledge by Pakistan to protect religious minorities.

The complaint was coordinated by Rahul Sur, executive director of HAHRI, and Deepti Mahajan, co-convenor of HinduPACT. Organizational signatories include the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), Coalition of Hindus in North America (CoHNA), Insight UK, Americans4Hindus, members of the Clarity Coalition, and the AHA Foundation.

It outlines several demands to the UNHRC:

  1. Refer the case to the UN Security Council to establish an international tribunal to identify and prosecute perpetrators of the alleged genocide.
  2. Mandate UN agencies, including UN Women, to support the tribunal and prevent coercive religious conversions.
  3. Instruct Pakistan to confiscate all hate-promoting educational materials.
  4. Create a compensation mechanism for victims, funded by the Pakistani government.

 

 

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