Shun obsession, instead work for your citizens battling for survival: India's strong message to Pak

The minister's comment comes as India has ramped up spending to modernise the military with PM Modi underlining the commitment to boost domestic production to supply forces deployed along with Pakistan.

India sent a strong message to Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) over the persecution of minorities in the countries on Friday.

Exercising its Right to Reply at the United Nations Human Rights Council, India's representative Seema Pujani said, "Underage girls from the community are converted to Islam abetted by a predatory state and an apathetic judiciary. Hindu and Sikh communities face similar issues of frequent attack on their places of worship and forced conversion of their underage girls."

"Equally worse is the treatment of the Christian community. It is frequently targeted through draconian blasphemy laws. State institutions officially reserve 'sanitation' jobs for Christians," she said.

"Pakistan's obsession with India while its population battle for their lives, livelihood and freedom is an indication of the state's misplaced priorities. I would advise its leadership and officials to focus their energies on working for the benefit of their own population instead of baseless propaganda," Seema Pujani was quoted saying by WION news.

India's response comes after Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said on Thursday that the "generous" supply of conventional and non-conventional weapons to the neighbouring country was severely straining South Asia's strategic stability, and threatening "our national security".

"The largest country in the region continues to be a beneficiary of nuclear exceptionalism, in violation of established non-proliferation norms and principles," she told a high-level United Nations (UN) panel - without naming India - during a conference via video link from Islamabad.

"This country also remains a net recipient of generous supplies of advanced conventional and non-conventional weapons, technologies and platforms," she said.

The minister's comment comes as India has ramped up spending to modernise the military with Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlining the commitment to boost domestic production to supply forces deployed along two contentious borders with Pakistan and China.

Last month, India increased defence budget to Rs 5.94 lakh crore for 2023-24, a hike of 13 per cent from last year's allocation of Rs 5.25 lakh crore.