UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan strongly criticised India at the United Nations Security Council, accusing it of exporting terrorism, persecuting minorities, occupying Jammu and Kashmir through force, and violating international law while presenting itself as a victim.
During a right of reply in the UN Security Council’s annual debate on the protection of civilians, Pakistan’s Counsellor Saima Saleem said India had “come to this Council wearing the mask of a victim,” adding that the international community could clearly see “the face behind that mask.”
In response, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of failing to meet international humanitarian obligations and alleged that it targets civilians, according to reports cited from the Times of India. He also repeated claims linked to the Afghan Taliban regarding an alleged attack on a hospital in Kabul earlier this year.
Saima Saleem rejected the allegations and said India’s “state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan” was not just a claim but had a real human cost. She stated that groups such as the TTP, BLA, and Majeed Brigade were responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians, including women and children, in attacks on mosques, markets, schools, and public spaces, and alleged that these networks were supported and facilitated from Afghan territory.
Referring to Afghanistan, she said Pakistan had carried out precise and intelligence-based counter-terrorism operations targeting militant hideouts, training facilities, weapons storage sites, and support networks used to plan attacks against civilians, security forces, and infrastructure.
She clarified that these operations were directed solely at terrorist elements and their infrastructure, not at Afghan civilians, and rejected opposing claims as part of a broader disinformation campaign.
Saima Saleem further remarked that Pakistan could “sense India’s disappointment,” adding that New Delhi’s alleged investment in using militant proxies against Pakistan was being undermined by effective counter-terrorism operations.
On the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, she said India could neither hide nor deny its occupation of the region, which she described as an internationally recognised dispute on the UN Security Council’s agenda.
She alleged that in IIOJK, civilians are detained, killed, displaced, and silenced, while homes are demolished and fundamental freedoms are suppressed, denying people their right to self-determination.
The Pakistani envoy also raised concerns over India’s treatment of minorities, saying it should concern the global conscience. She referred to what she described as rising “Hindutva extremism,” claiming that Islamophobia had been normalised as state policy and that Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and Christians faced discrimination.
She further accused India of weaponising water, saying New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty reflected disregard for international law. She added that a country threatening the water and food security of millions of people could not credibly speak about the protection of civilians.
Concluding her remarks, Saima Saleem said Pakistan remained committed to peace, dialogue, and the peaceful resolution of disputes in line with international law, the UN Charter, and relevant Security Council resolutions, stressing that it seeks cooperative and respectful relations based on sovereignty and equality.