Reaffirming its unwavering support for the UN Human Rights Council, Pakistan has called on the 47-member body to exert its prevention decree proactively to uphold international law and protect the rights of all occupied and oppressed peoples without discrimination, including in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.
Noting that the Geneva-based Council covers both long-standing crises and emerging issues, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, said in a speech to the UN General Assembly that it must maintain a balanced focus across all categories of rights.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad, who was commenting on the report of the Human Rights Council, said Pakistan values the Council’s attention to grave situations, including the continued denial of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
“Durable peace and respect for human rights cannot be achieved without addressing all situations of foreign occupation and denial of self-determination, including in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, where peoples continue to face oppression and dispossession,” he added.
The Pakistani envoy’s reference to the situation in Indian-occupied Karachi drew a response from India’s delegate who claimed that Jammu & Kashmir was an “integral and inalienable” part of India, while accusing Pakistan of subverting the principle of right of self-determination.
Bhavika Managalanandan, a first secretary in the Indian mission to the UN, also referred to the recent events in Azad Kashmir, asserting that human rights were violated.
Pakistani delegate Sarfaraz Ahmed Gohar hit back, rejecting what he called India’s ” baseless falsehoods” and telling the 193-member Assembly that “Jammu and Kashmir is not, never has been, and will never be an ‘integral’ part of India.”
The disputed state’s “final disposition” is to be decided by the Kashmiri people through a UN-supervised plebiscite, as demanded by numerous resolutions of the Security Council, said Gohar, a first secretary in the Pakistan Mission to the UN, while exercising his right of reply.
“This disputed status of Kashmir is acknowledged by the UN and the international community,” he said.
“We reiterate that the Indian government must uphold its international human rights obligations towards the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and advise the Indian delegate to shun (his) tactics to deflect attention,” the Pakistani delegate said, also highlighting the growing intolerance in India, with extremist Hindu groups calling for genocide against Muslims.
In his comments on the Human Rights Council’s report, Ambassador Asim Ahmad renewed Pakistan’s commitment to a coherent and equitable global human rights system.
He underscored the need for streamlining the proliferation of mandates, avoiding duplication, and strengthening coordination across mechanisms. “The focus must be on quality over quantity – ensuring each mandate adds value and contributes meaningfully to the promotion of all rights.”
The Council, the Pakistani envoy stressed, must remain a forum for dialogue and cooperation, not confrontation or politicization. “Selectivity and double standards erode credibility and must be rejected.”
Adequate, predictable, and sustainable financing is also vital for the Council’s credibility and functionality, he said.
Pointing out that indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights are the UN’s foundational principles, the Pakistani envoy urged the Council to ensure equal attention to the nexus between human rights, development, and sustainability to fulfill the promise of UN’s 2030 anti-poverty agenda.
As a re-elected member of the Human Rights Council for 2026-2028, Ambassador Asim Ahmad reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to play a balanced, principled, and constructive role. “We will continue to promote consensus-building, amplify the voice of the Global South, and uphold promotion of all human rights.”
Other speakers also underscored that the Council serves as a “sanctuary of humanity” that not only protects but also delivers on the promise of human rights as enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
“Today, both international law and human rights are under growing pressure,” said Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, noting that – despite the vision of the UN’s founders – some countries brazenly dismiss the rule of law, while others question the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In their most extreme form in Afghanistan, the Taliban deny women and girls even the most basic human rights.
“The frequency of such abuses is shocking,” she said. “We cannot remain passive […] nor allow cynics to weaponize these failures to discredit the institutions that protect human dignity”.
The Human Rights Council, like the broader United Nations, “can only deliver within its means”, the Assembly president stressed, calling on States to sustain their financial contributions. She urged them to use the UN80 reform initiative as a tool to make the Council more integrated, efficient and responsive in the pursuit of delivery.
Citing the eightieth anniversary of the United Nations as both “a moment for self-reflection and a call to action”, Jurg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council, warned that – amid persisting conflicts and the erosion of the rule of law – fulfilling the rights enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration can often feel like “an impossible task”.
Yet, he highlighted the remarkable progress achieved across the full spectrum of human rights. The Council expanded the scope of issues on its agenda, while continuing its focus on technical assistance and capacity-building in Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Haiti, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.
However, the Council’s sessions took place amid the UN’s liquidity crisis, he said, which affected all mandates and forced many to be delivered in a reduced form. “The current situation is not sustainable,” he stressed, warning that without timely and adequate resources, fulfilling the Council’s mandate will create protection gaps for victims.