India on Thursday delivered a stinging rebuke to Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council, accusing its western neighbour of making politically motivated remarks and misusing global forums to malign India.
During an open debate on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, took strong exception to Pakistan’s remarks, calling them part of a “nefarious agenda” aimed at deflecting from its own record of human rights violations.
“I am constrained to respond to the politically motivated remarks made by the delegate of Pakistan, one of the grave violators of the CAAC agenda. Pakistan is casting unwarranted aspersions over UN processes and also smearing India at various discussions to pursue their nefarious agenda,” Harish told the Council.
India’s comments came after Pakistan’s delegate reportedly made veiled references to Kashmir and accused India of violating the rights of children in conflict zones. Ambassador Harish firmly dismissed the allegations, stating that Pakistan had no moral authority to speak on the issue, given its own track record.
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He said Islamabad’s attempts to exploit multilateral platforms for domestic political gain were unbecoming of a UN member. “Pakistan is casting unwarranted aspersions over UN processes and maligning India in various discussions to advance their nefarious agenda,” Harish reiterated.
In recent years, New Delhi has repeatedly raised concerns over Pakistan’s misuse of international forums, particularly those under the United Nations system, to internationalise bilateral matters and misrepresent facts.
Ambassador Harish’s response at the UNSC reflects a continuation of India’s policy to strongly counter Pakistan’s narrative in global institutions, especially when Kashmir is invoked. Indian diplomats have consistently maintained that the Union Territory is an internal matter and have rejected any third-party intervention.
The Children and Armed Conflict debate, an annual fixture at the Council, is meant to highlight the plight of children affected by wars across the world. India emphasised the need for collective international action to protect children from armed conflict, while warning against politicising humanitarian discussions.
Observers noted that the Indian envoy’s sharp response marked yet another instance of the deep diplomatic gulf that continues to divide the two South Asian neighbours at global forums.
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