NEW DELHI: India has strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing it of a long record of violence against civilians and citing recent incidents in Afghanistan linked to Pakistani military action.
Speaking at the Annual UNSC Open Debate on 'Protection of civilians in armed conflict', India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, referred to findings by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) regarding civilian casualties caused by cross-border violence.
"It is ironic that Pakistan, with its long-tainted record of genocidal acts, has chosen to refer to issues that are strictly internal to India. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has reported that in the first three months of 2026, 750 civilian deaths and injuries were documented in Afghanistan as a result of cross-border armed violence perpetrated by Pakistani military forces, most of which occurred due to air strikes," he said.
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"The UNAMA documentation attributed 94 of 95 incidents of civilian causalities to Pakistani Security forces. The world has not forgotten that it was during the holy month of Ramadan in March this year, at a time of peace, reflection, and mercy, that Pakistan conducted a barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul. Again, according to UNAMA, this cowardly and unconscionable act of violence claimed the lives of 269 civilians and injured a further 122 in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target," he said.
The Indian envoy accused Pakistan of ignoring international humanitarian obligations and targeting civilians.
"It is hypocritical to espouse high principles of international law while targeting innocent civilians in the dark. The air strikes by Pakistan occurred at the conclusion of tarawih evening prayers, when numerous patients were leaving the masjid, as per UNAMA," he said.
Referring to remarks made earlier by the UN Secretary-General on protecting civilians, Parvathaneni said Pakistan had failed to follow those appeals.
"It bears emphasis that the UN Secretary General called on member states to uphold their international obligations in relation to protection of civilians, including the principle of non-refoulement in the context of Afghanistan. Clearly, Pakistan has chosen to ignore this call completely," he added.
India also raised concerns over cross-border terrorism and displacement caused by violence.
"As per UNAMA, over 94,000 people were assessed as displaced due to cross-border armed violence perpetrated against Afghan civilians. But, such heinous acts of aggression by Pakistan should not come as a surprise from a country that bombs its own people and conducts systematic genocide," he said.
Parvathaneni also referred to Pakistan's actions during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
"During Operation Searchlight in 1971, Pakistan sanctioned the systematic campaign of genocidal mass rape of 400,000 women citizens by its own army. Such inhuman conduct reflects Pakistan's repeated attempts over decades to externalize internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence both within and beyond its borders. With no faith, no law, and no morality the world can see through Pakistan's propaganda," he said.
In his concluding remarks, the Indian envoy said the protection of civilians must remain central to the Security Council’s efforts to maintain international peace and security.
"In conclusion, India reiterates that the protection of civilians must remain at the center of the Security Council's efforts to maintain international peace and security. The international community must collectively work to restore and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, strengthen accountability, ensure humanitarian access, protect medical care, responsibly govern emerging technologies and thereby alleviate the suffering of civilians affected by armed conflict," he said.
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