India slams Pakistan on gross sexual violence against women

United Nations: India has slammed Pakistan at a UN debate by drawing attention to the “heinous crimes of gross sexual violence” against women in erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971, adding the pattern continues “with impunity to this day.”

Briefly addressing what he called as the “baseless allegation” raised by the Pakistan delegate during the debate on Tuesday, Eldos Mathew Punnoose, India's Counsellor and Charge d'Affaires said that the 1971's instances of sexual violence against women is “a matter of shameful record.”

Punnoose was delivering his statement at the open debate on 'Innovative Strategies to Ensure Access to Life-Saving Services and Protection for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones.'

“The utter impunity with which the Pakistan army perpetrated heinous crimes of gross sexual violence against women in erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971 is a matter of shameful record,” he said.

He was apparently referring to a series of massacres and rapes in 1971 in East Pakistan, in what is today’s Bangladesh.

“This deplorable pattern continues unabated and with impunity to this day,” the Indian diplomat said.

“Rampant abduction, trafficking, child early and forced marriages and domestic servitude, sexual violence and forced religious conversions of thousands of vulnerable women and girls as weapons of persecution towards religious and ethnic minority communities are reported and chronicled, including in the recent OHCHR reports,” Punnoose said.

He also alleged that it is “ironical” that those who perpetrate these crimes are now “masquerading as champions of justice.” “The duplicity and hypocrisy is self-evident,” he added.

Punnoose was responding to Pakistan's allegation that “sexual violence has long been deployed to punish and humiliate communities” in Kashmir.

Punnoose in his statement said, “Perpetrators of heinous acts of conflict-related sexual violence must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and brought to justice.” “Sexual violence in conflict zones not only destroys individual lives but tears apart the very fabric of societies, leaving lasting scars on communities for generations,” he added.

He also referred to the UNSC Resolution 2467 of 2019, which he said has been instrumental in highlighting the need to provide victims access to national relief and reparations programmes, healthcare, psychosocial care, safe shelter, legal aid and facilitate rehabilitation and reintegration efforts to bring a semblance of normalcy to their lives.

He listed India's contribution at the global level when it came to commitment to eliminate sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping, humanitarian and development work; and how Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations operations.

Punnoose also listed steps taken at the domestic level and said India has implemented a comprehensive domestic strategy for women's safety, which could offer insights for ensuring access to life-saving services and protection for survivors in conflict situations.

“India is ready to share the expertise and experience with interested Member States through our comprehensive training programmes,” he added.