Geneva: India launched a sharp attack on Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), accusing Islamabad of “bombing its own people” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while misusing the forum to make “baseless and provocative” allegations against New Delhi.
Speaking at the 60th session of the council, Indian diplomat Kshitij Tyagi said, “Perhaps once they (Pakistan) find time away from exporting terrorism, sheltering UN-designated terrorists, and bombing their own people, they may consider constructive engagement.”
The remarks came after reports that at least 30 civilians, including women and children, were killed on Monday when the Pakistan Air Force carried out airstrikes on Matre Dara village in Tirah Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Without directly naming Pakistan, Tyagi said a certain delegation “which epitomises the antithesis of this approach” continues to abuse the UN platform with unsubstantiated claims against India. He further added that Islamabad should “vacate Indian territory under illegal occupation” and instead focus on reviving “an economy on life support, a polity muzzled by military dominance, and a human rights record stained by persecution.”
Tyagi underlined India’s position that the UNHRC must remain universal, objective, and non-selective, stressing that country-specific mandates only “fuel perceptions of bias and distract from urgent global challenges.”
He concluded that meaningful progress on human rights can only be achieved through dialogue, cooperation, and capacity building, with the consent of the state concerned.
