'OIC has no locus standi to comment on J&K, misused by Pakistan': India at UNHRC

India on Tuesday came out strongly at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) against the statement of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir, saying the body has no locus standi to comment on the issue. India also slammed Pakistan for "misusing the august forum".

"We reject the reference to union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the OIC statement. It has no locus standi to comment on matters related to J&K, which is an integral and inalienable part of India," Pawankumar Badhe, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to UN, said at the UNHRC, according to news agency ANI.

"Pakistan’s deliberate misuse of this august forum for its malicious propaganda against India, aimed at diverting Council's attention from its own serious violations of human rights, has remained a constant," ANI further quoted him as saying.

Badhe also said that it is regrettable that the OIC continues to allow itself to be exploited by Pakistan to indulge in anti-India propaganda.

This comes almost a week after India rejected Pakistan minister Shireen Mazari's criticism of the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Exercising its “right of reply”, second secretary in the permanent mission to the UN Seema Pujani said on February 24 that Pakistan has “one of the world’s worst human rights records”, where “institutionalised discrimination and persecution” of minorities has continued unabated.

Pujani also termed Turkey's remarks regarding the situation in Kashmir as "completely unacceptable".

"It's ironical for a country which has trampled upon its own civil society to pass unjustified comments on other's internal matters," she said.

Pujani said the Government of India is fully cognizant of its human rights obligations and committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of our people.