Pakistan has decided to support Sri Lanka and will be voting against the UN Human Rights Council’s new resolution in Geneva, News International reported on Sunday quoting Pakistani Government sources. Pakistan was re-elected in January to the UNHR Council for another three years with the highest numbers of votes and in the past Pakistan has supported Colombo by voting against the resolution. Pakistan too in a rare move against a close ally had severely criticised Colombo and its High Commissioner in Sri Lanka had publicly stated that recent steps taken by Sri Lanka were ‘divisive’ and would ‘injure’ the feelings of Muslims. According to reports from Colombo, Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage said that India had been forthcoming in its support and would back Sri Lanka by not supporting the UNHR resolution. Earlier as proceedings commenced in Geneva, Sri Lanka told the UNHR Council to reject the new resolution with its Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena asking if the resolution was politically motivated.

Source: The Nation March 21, 2021 05:15 UTC