By The South Asia Times

UNITED NATIONS - Pakistan delivered a scathing right of reply at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, rejecting what it called "unwarranted and baseless remarks" by the Indian delegate during discussions on a draft resolution titled "Promotion of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace" under the agenda item Culture of Peace.

First Secretary Zulfiqar Ali, speaking on behalf of Pakistan, accused India of attempting to "spoil the significance of a unanimous signal" sent by the international community through the consensual adoption of the important resolution.

"It is unfortunate that India has tried to spoil the significance of a unanimous signal that the international community sent today by the consensual adoption of this important resolution," Ali told the General Assembly. "By politicizing this message of harmony, tolerance and peaceful coexistence between religions and cultures, India has peddled falsehood and lies again."

The Pakistani diplomat alleged that India's claims were "clearly motivated by its embarrassing and humiliating military defeat last May" -- an apparent reference to unresolved cross-border tensions, though he did not elaborate on specific military engagements.

Ali dismissed India's allegations against Pakistan as "unfounded and groundless," insisting that New Delhi's intervention was a deliberate attempt to undermine the spirit of interfaith cooperation that the resolution sought to promote.

In his rebuttal, Ali highlighted Pakistan's record on religious minority rights, specifically pointing to the Kartarpur Corridor, which connects India's Dera Baba Nanak shrine to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan — one of Sikhism's holiest sites.

"Since its inception, the Kartarpur Corridor has facilitated the pilgrimage of Sikh pilgrims to the holy site of Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur," he said. "Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from all over the globe including a vast majority from India visit this shrine in full safety and dignity, which speaks for itself as a testament to Pakistan's hospitality."

Ali noted that Pakistan announced the renewal of the bilateral agreement with India in 2024 for an additional five-year term, a move he said "reflects Pakistan's recognition of the importance of safeguarding the rights of religious minorities."

He added that the initiative has earned "widespread appreciation from the Sikh community all over the world" as well as the international community, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who described the corridor as a "Corridor of Hope."

Turning his criticism toward India, Ali leveled severe allegations against the Indian government, describing it as "the world's most intolerant state."

"The fact remains that India has the distinction of being the world's most intolerant state, which has turned against its own minorities," he charged.

Ali argued that violence against minorities in India is not carried out by "fringe elements" but occurs "under the direct patronage of the Indian government."

He detailed that Muslims, as India's largest minority group, "suffer from hate crimes and face multiple forms of discrimination and persecution including cow vigilantism, desecration of worship places and even ghettoization." He added that "other religious minorities are not spared either."

Pakistan called upon the Indian government to "stop its patronage of the persecution of minorities and punish those who commit such abominable acts."

"India's progress on this subject should be judged by its visible action, not the hollow rhetoric and lies its representatives peddle in international forums, while its leaders avoid international and media scrutiny of its human rights record," Ali concluded.

The draft resolution on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue was adopted by consensus, reflecting broad international support for fostering understanding and cooperation among different faiths and cultures as a means to advance global peace.

India and Pakistan have a long history of trading accusations at UN forums, particularly on issues related to religious freedom, minority rights, and cross-border terrorism. Thursday's exchange marked the latest chapter in their diplomatic rivalry, played out before the international community.

As of press time, the Indian delegation to the UN had not issued an immediate response to Pakistan's right of reply.