India slams Pakistan at UN over civilian killings in Afghanistan, says it has ‘long-tainted record’ of violence against civilians
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At the Annual United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate on “Protection of civilians in armed conflict,” Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, Permanent Representative of India to the UN, strongly criticised Pakistan over civilian deaths in Afghanistan and accused Islamabad of supporting terrorism and carrying out attacks on civilians.
Parvathaneni said Pakistan has a long history of involvement in violence against civilians and referred to reports by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
“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.
“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.
“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 added.
Parvathaneni also said Pakistan ignored the UN Secretary-General’s appeal regarding the protection of civilians.
“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 said.
India also raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and said countries supporting terrorism should be held accountable.
“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.
(With agency inputs)