Pakistan rebukes India at UNSC

Pakistan on Wednesday hit back at India’s claims in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where Pakistani diplomat Saima Saleem criticized New Delhi as “a state that exports terrorism abroad, occupies people by force, persecutes minorities at home, weaponizes 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 expressed concern over the situation in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) during the session. Saima criticized India’s remarks, saying 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 comply with international humanitarian obligations and alleged that it had targeted civilians. He also referred to what he described as Pakistan’s “longest tarnished record of genocide,” according to Indian media.

The Indian envoy reiterated further claims by the Afghan Taliban regarding an alleged attack on a hospital in Kabul earlier this year.

Reacting to the allegations, 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 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 that Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations were conducted 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 aimed solely at terrorists and their infrastructure, not at 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” aimed at concealing attacks against Pakistani civilians.

At the IIOJK, the Pakistani diplomat said India “could neither hide nor deny its occupation of Jammu and Kashmir,” describing the issue as “an internationally recognized dispute that remains on the agenda of this council.”

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

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

“Under state-sponsored Hindutva extremism, Islamophobia has been normalized as politics, 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 limbo” reflected disregard for international law. “A state that threatens water, food security and livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis certainly cannot talk about 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 of international law.”