United Nations: India launched a forceful diplomatic offensive against Pakistan at the UN Security Council on Monday, accusing Islamabad of mounting airstrikes in Afghanistan that have inflicted heavy civilian casualties, violated Afghan sovereignty and flouted international law.
India’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, also denounced a recent Pakistani directive labelling internal groups “Fitna al Hindustan” as state-sponsored misinformation cloaked in religious language, as reported by Money Control.
“Pakistan’s campaign of military airstrikes against Afghanistan is causing huge civilian casualties and suffering to the Afghan people,” Parvathaneni told the Council, citing United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) figures showing 372 civilians killed and 397 injured in the first three months of the year, with many casualties occurring during Ramadan.
He said such strikes were “a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a threat to the region’s peace and stability,” and argued the attacks breached the UN Charter and international law.
Condemning justifications for the violence, the Indian envoy said attempts to sanitise civilian harm were unacceptable and rejected framing such operations as counter-terrorism. He criticised what he called the “hypocrisy” of espousing international and religious principles while conducting strikes during the holy month.
‘Fitna al Hindustan’ Labelled Misinformation
Parvathaneni turned to Pakistan’s internal messaging, calling the government notification that directs agencies to describe certain groups as “Fitna al Hindustan” nothing more than “officially sponsored misinformation and disinformation dressed in religious terminology.”
He characterised it as part of an organised narrative from Pakistan’s “deep state” designed to keep the population hostile to India, sustain military influence and distract from domestic problems, pointing to recent constitutional changes as evidence of the military’s power.
Trade & Transit Under Fire
India also accused Pakistan of weaponizing Afghanistan’s trade vulnerabilities, describing restrictions on Afghan commerce as “trade and transit terrorism.” The envoy argued these measures violate WTO norms and UN principles for land-locked developing countries and highlighted India’s own steps to support Afghanistan, including tariff-free market access, an air freight corridor and visa facilitation for Afghan traders.
Pakistan Challenges UN Reporting
Pakistan’s UN envoy, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, questioned aspects of the UN Secretary‑General’s report and UNAMA’s casualty reporting, arguing that counts which include fatalities from counter‑terror operations raise doubts about the report’s credibility and its engagement with the Taliban.
India countered that multilateral commitments cannot be applied selectively and called for coordinated international action against ISIL, Al Qaeda and listed groups responsible for cross‑border terrorism.
