Pakistan rebukes India at UNSC

Pakistan on Wednesday hit back at India’s allegations at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), with Pakistani diplomat Saima Saleem slamming New Delhi as being “a state that exports terrorism abroad, occupies people by force, persecutes minorities at home, weaponises water, commits aggression in the region.”

Her remarks came during a right of reply at the UNSC’s Annual Debate on the Protection of Civilians after India accused Pakistan of ignoring international humanitarian obligations and targeting civilians.

Pakistan had raised concerns over the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) during the session. Saima criticised India’s remarks and said New Delhi had appeared before the council “wearing the mask of a victim.” “But the world can see the face behind that mask,” she said.

Earlier in the debate, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Harish Parvathaneni accused Pakistan of failing to uphold international humanitarian obligations and alleged that it had targeted civilians. He also referred to what he described as Pakistan’s “long-tainted record of genocidal acts,” according to Indian media reports.

The Indian envoy further repeated allegations made by the Afghan Taliban regarding an alleged strike on a hospital in Kabul earlier this year.

Responding to the accusations, Saima said India’s “state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan” had caused significant civilian casualties through militant groups operating from Afghan territory.

“Its terrorist proxies — including the TTP, BLA and Majeed Brigade — have killed thousands of civilians, including women and children in our mosques, markets, schools and streets,” she added.

Saima further said Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations were carried out on the basis of credible intelligence and targeted militant hideouts, training camps, and logistical networks involved in attacks against Pakistani civilians, security personnel, and infrastructure.

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“These operations were directed solely against terrorists and their infrastructure, not against the brotherly people of Afghanistan or civilian facilities,” she said.

Saima also dismissed allegations raised by the Taliban administration and echoed by India, calling them part of a “disinformation campaign” intended to conceal attacks against Pakistani civilians.

On IIOJK, the Pakistani diplomat said India could “neither conceal nor deny its occupation of Jammu and Kashmir,” describing the issue as “an internationally recognised dispute that remains on the agenda of this Council.”

“In the occupied territory, civilians are killed, detained, dispossessed, and silenced; homes are demolished, freedoms are crushed, and an entire people are denied their right to self-determination,” she added.

She also criticised India’s treatment of minorities, particularly Muslims, saying the situation should “alarm the conscience of the world.”

“Under state-sponsored Hindutva extremism, Islamophobia has been normalised as policy, hate speech rewarded in politics, mob violence met with impunity,” she said, adding that Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and Christians faced discrimination.

Referring to the Indus Waters Treaty, Saima said India’s decision to keep the agreement “in abeyance” reflected disregard for international law. “A State that threatens the water, food security and livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis cannot certainly speak of civilian protection,” she said.

Concluding her remarks, she said Pakistan remained committed to “peace, dialogue, peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to international law,” while accusing India of “terrorism, occupation, aggression, repression and disregard for international law.”