In a tense moment at the United Nations Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish launched a powerful rebuke of Pakistan’s conduct during the annual open debate on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC). India accused Islamabad of weaponising UN platforms to deflect attention from its internal human rights abuses and state-sponsored terrorism.
Pakistan accused of hypocrisy and violations
Ambassador Harish lambasted Pakistan as “one of the grave violators of the CAAC agenda,” highlighting systemic abuses against children, including attacks on girls’ schools and health workers, and cross-border shelling in Afghanistan that harmed minors. He accused the country of casting “unwarranted aspersions over UN processes and…smearing India…to pursue their nefarious agenda,” adding that such behavior is “grossly hypocritical” given Pakistan's own record.
Linking human rights to terrorism
Harish linked Pakistan’s human rights record to its cross-border terror operations, referencing the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists, blamed on Pakistan-based terrorists, and citing the UN Security Council’s April 25 statement urging action against those responsible. He reiterated that India’s May 7 retaliatory strikes (Operation Sindoor) targeted militant infrastructure, actions Pakistan publicly honoured with state funerals for “terrorists.”
India demands accountability
Quoting the UN Secretary-General’s CAAC report, Harish underscored grave violations in Pakistan, including military actions injuring Afghan children near the border. He asserted the entire Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India, challenging Pakistan's narrative on the global stage.
What this means
India’s forceful narrative at the UNSC frames Pakistan as a state that uses international platforms to evade scrutiny, exacerbates cross-border terrorism, and commits human rights abuses, all under the guise of victimhood. The speech marks a diplomatic push to shift global attention and counter Pakistani narratives at the UN.
(With agency inputs)