Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed support for the Muscat Plan of Action, describing it as an innovative and timely pathway to counter hate speech, prevent incitement to genocide and other atrocity crimes, and promote peace through dialogue, mediation and local peacebuilding. The Muscat Plan of Action is a UN-backed framework aimed at strengthening the role of traditional and indigenous leaders and communities in countering hate speech and preventing genocide, atrocity crimes and their incitement. Speaking at the launch of the Muscat Plan of Action at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, said that the initiative comes at a time when the world is witnessing a sharp rise in exclusion, intolerance and discrimination. &ldquo;Pakistan supports initiatives such as the Muscat Plan of Action and appreciates the urgency shown by the United Nations in addressing these disruptive and dangerous trends,&rdquo; added the Pakistani envoy.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 640px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2065227854917345717&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ef5545f1c212c27393391d5ca5361035a9d8eaba&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The launch ceremony was attended by UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres, along with representatives of member states, international organizations and peacebuilding networks. Ambassador Iftikhar further said that the plan draws strength from the cultural legitimacy, credibility and influence of traditional and Indigenous leaders, particularly in societies where local mechanisms continue to play an important role in conflict prevention and dispute resolution. Inclusive and peaceful societies&ldquo;By mobilizing traditional knowledge, cultural practices, and local mechanisms, the Plan of Action reinforces States&rsquo; efforts for establishing just, inclusive and peaceful societies,&rdquo; he said. He noted that hate speech and incitement to genocide and atrocity crimes are driven by complex social, political and ideological factors, requiring an effective and holistic response at national,&nbsp;international and community levels. The Pakistani envoy said that heads of clans, tribal chiefs and Indigenous leaders have historically played a leading role in local governance, mediation and conflict prevention. Even today, he said, such leaders remain at the forefront of peacebuilding, dispute resolution and humanitarian relief efforts in many parts of the world. Ambassador Iftikhar reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue working with international partners to counter the ideology of hate speech and promote societies based on peace, equality and dignity. He said Pakistan remained committed to supporting collective efforts to transform communities into &ldquo;oases of peace, equality and tranquility.&rdquo; The ambassador also congratulated the Sultanate of Oman, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Peacemakers Network for compiling and finalizing the Muscat Plan of Action. Pakistan said the initiative can serve as an important platform for linking global prevention frameworks with community-based peacebuilding efforts, especially in areas vulnerable to hate-driven violence and social fragmentation.

Foreign Affairs

Endorses the Muscat Plan of Action at the UN; Calls it an innovative framework to counter hate speech, prevent genocide incitement, and promote peacebuilding through traditional and Indigenous leaders.

Pakistan backs Muscat Plan of Action against hate speech, genocide incitement

ISLAMABAD: Genocide Watch in a recent report warned that India was showing signs of entering the &ldquo;extermination&rdquo; stage in the organization&rsquo;s widely cited Ten Stages of Genocide framework.&nbsp; The report, titled &ldquo;Extermination in India: The Ninth Stage of Genocide,&rdquo; argues that anti-Muslim violence and dehumanizing rhetoric are intensifying across the country.&nbsp; Genocide Watch is an international organization focused on genocide prevention and mass atrocity monitoring.&nbsp; According to the report, perpetrators of genocide often stop viewing victims as fully human and portray them as threats that must be removed from society.&nbsp; Genocide mode The organization linked its warning to rising hate speech, communal violence and attacks targeting Muslims in India.&nbsp; The report referenced past episodes of mass violence, including the 2002 Gujarat riots, as examples of communal killings and impunity.&nbsp; Genocide Watch said genocides are not always sudden events and can develop gradually through stages such as discrimination, dehumanization, persecution and extermination.&nbsp; The Ten Stages of Genocide model was developed by Genocide Watch founder Gregory Stanton and is used internationally in genocide studies and early warning analysis.&nbsp; Ethnic violence in India The organization has previously issued alerts regarding communal tensions and ethnic violence in India, including in Manipur.&nbsp; Rights activists and minority groups have repeatedly expressed concern over mob lynching, anti-Muslim vigilante violence and inflammatory political rhetoric in recent years.&nbsp; The report also criticized the use of euphemisms such as &ldquo;ethnic cleansing,&rdquo; arguing that such language can minimize or obscure atrocities.&nbsp; India&rsquo;s government has previously rejected international criticism concerning minority rights and communal violence, describing some reports as biased or politically motivated. The Genocide Watch report adds to growing international debate over religious freedom, communal polarization and the protection of minority rights in India.

India

Genocide Watch has warned that anti-Muslim violence, hate speech and communal polarization in India are increasingly resembling the 'extermination' stage in its genocide risk framework.

International watchdog flags genocide concerns in India

ISLAMABAD: Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank have intensified in recent days, as the United Nations Human Rights Office said on Friday it was &ldquo;horrified&rdquo; by continued civilian killings in Gaza, reporting at least 11 Palestinians killed on Jan. 21 alone despite a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire taking effect on Jan. 14. UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) said the deaths were part of a broader pattern of post-ceasefire violence. Since the first phase of the ceasefire entered into force on Oct. 11, 2025, at least 477 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, many far from the so-called &ldquo;yellow line&rdquo; military deployment zone. The Jan. 21 attacks included an Israeli strike on a vehicle in central Gaza that killed three Palestinian journalists near the Netzarim area<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, bringing the total number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023, to 292.&nbsp;UN officials said Israeli forces opened fire and carried out artillery shelling in several incidents near the deployment line, killing a 13-year-old boy, three family members in central Gaza, and three brothers near Al-Bureij camp.&nbsp; The agency said at least nine children have also died of hypothermia amid worsening humanitarian conditions. &ldquo;The crisis in Gaza is nowhere near over,&rdquo; said Ajith Sunghay, head of UN Human Rights in the oPt.&nbsp; Gaza ceasefire phase two<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Jan. 14 that phase two of the ceasefire had entered into force, with the framework formally signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos. However, Gaza&#39;s Government Media Office reported nearly 1,300 ceasefire violations since Oct. 10, 2025.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2011478211075391845&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a1b88823706da82b6fabe724b0c5d8a325f7c335&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 393px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Continued operationsIn the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have expanded large-scale operations, displacing thousands of Palestinians and destroying civilian infrastructure, according to the UN. On Jan. 20, Israeli forces stormed the UNRWA headquarters compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem and demolished buildings with bulldozers, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the state owns the compound and that the seizure was carried out in accordance with Israeli and international law, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the demolition and urged Israel to immediately cease and restore the compound to the UN. Lazzarini described the move as &ldquo;a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law,&rdquo; warning that it undermined the privileges and immunities of the UN.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2013546502388342823&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a1b88823706da82b6fabe724b0c5d8a325f7c335&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 393px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Wall in the northern West Bank on Jan. 21, 2025, deploying large numbers of troops following drone strikes in Jenin, according to a joint IDF&ndash;Shin Bet statement. At least 10 Palestinians were killed and more than 35 wounded in the operation&rsquo;s opening hours, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Between the launch of Operation Iron Wall on Jan. 21, 2025, and February 2025, UNRWA reported that more than 40,000 Palestinians have been forced from their homes, describing the displacement as the highest since 1967.&nbsp; As of January 2026, UNRWA&rsquo;s Flash Appeal indicates that while the total displacement initially hit 40,000&ndash;45,000, roughly 32,400 people remain in a state of permanent displacement because their homes and camp infrastructure were completely reduced to rubble. Lazzarini said the operation was the longest and most destructive Israeli campaign in the West Bank since the second intifada in the early 2000s. In Nablus governorate, Israeli forces shot four Palestinians on Dec. 30, 2025, near Urif and Einabus, killing one, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). On Jan. 1, Israeli troops shot Palestinians in Al Lubban ash Sharqiya, killing one detainee. Israel said troops were responding to stone-throwing and attempted attacks. Infrastructure and humanitarian impactOver the past two weeks, Israeli authorities demolished 50 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem for lacking building permits, OCHA said. Severe winter weather also damaged or destroyed dozens of tents and makeshift shelters in Bedouin and herding communities. OCHA said that between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 10, 2026, at least 1,059 Palestinians, including 228 children, were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In 2025 alone, 240 Palestinians, including 55 children, were killed by Israeli forces or settlers.UNRWA said at least 851 people sheltering in its buildings have been killed and at least 2,584 injured since the start of the war. International agencies warned that continued military operations, displacement, and restrictions on aid access are undermining ceasefire efforts and deepening the humanitarian crisis across the oPt. &ldquo;This is a time for the international community to intensify pressure to stop the bloodshed and advance a rights-based approach to recovery and reconstruction,&rdquo; Sunghay said.

Palestinians in Gaza City inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike, 9 October 2023, photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP (Photo taken from OCHA)

Middle East

Israeli operations continue across Gaza and the West Bank, despite a second phase of ceasefire in effect since Jan.14, with the UN warning on Friday of ongoing civilian deaths, mass displacement, and worsening humanitarian conditions.

Articles tagged with "Genocide"

Pakistan backs Muscat Plan of Action against hate speech, genocide incitement

International watchdog flags genocide concerns in India

Violence against Palestinians continues across Gaza, West Bank despite ceasefire

Pakistan backs Muscat Plan of Action against hate speech, genocide incitement