'Blaming Neighbours For Its Own Failures': India Tears Into Pakistan At UNSC, Reaffirms Strong Support For Afghanistan

New Delhi: India launched a sharp attack on Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during a discussion on the situation in Afghanistan, accusing Islamabad of attempting to deflect attention from its own failures and condemning its military actions across the Afghan border.

Addressing the UNSC, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said, "Blaming neighbours for its own failures is an old Pakistani habit. This attempt to hoodwink the world will fail."

Harish's remarks came in response to Pakistan's criticism of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Secretary-General's report on the country. Stressing India's support for the UN mission, he said New Delhi fully backs UNAMA's efforts to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.

"Support for multilateralism and the United Nations is not an à la carte menu," Harish said, taking aim at Pakistan's questioning of UNAMA's intentions and the credibility of the Secretary-General's report.

The Indian envoy also strongly condemned Pakistan's reported airstrikes inside Afghanistan, alleging that they have caused significant civilian casualties and suffering. Referring to UNAMA reports, Harish said the Secretary-General had expressed deep concern over civilian deaths resulting from airstrikes, cross-border firing and targeted killings.

"Such unconscionable acts of violence are a blatant assault on Afghanistan's sovereignty and a threat to the region's peace and stability," he said. India, he added, strongly condemns airstrikes on Afghan territory, describing them as "flagrant violations of international law, the UN Charter and the principle of state sovereignty."

Citing UNAMA data, Harish noted that 372 civilians were killed and 397 injured during the first three months of the year, with a large majority of casualties occurring during the holy month of Ramadan.

"No faith, no law and no morality can justify such actions," he said. "Dressing up a massacre as a military operation does not absolve the perpetrator."

The Indian diplomat argued that harming civilians cannot be justified as counter-terrorism and accused Pakistan of hypocrisy for invoking international law and Islamic solidarity while carrying out military operations during Ramadan.

"Killing, maiming and orphaning civilians is not counter-terrorism," Harish said. "Espousing high principles of international law and Islamic solidarity while mercilessly carrying out airstrikes during the holy month of Ramadan is the perfect example of hypocrisy."

Reiterating India's position, Harish called for adherence to international humanitarian law and accountability for civilian casualties, backing UNAMA's demand for investigations into incidents of violence to prevent recurrence and uphold victims' rights.

The remarks underscore India's continued support for Afghanistan's sovereignty and its criticism of Pakistan's security policies in the region, as tensions over cross-border militancy and military operations remain a key concern in South Asia.

"India and Afghanistan are contiguous neighbors, and as civilizational states, our ties have spanned centuries. Our history of close cooperation continues to guide our modern-day relationship. The proud people of Afghanistan have endured a lot in this century and the Government of India will continue to stand in favor of peace and stability, so as to foster development and stability in this nation. Our participation in the Doha working group meetings, and our strong bilateral development partnership stand testimony to this promise," he said.

Harish further added that India has reiterated its sustained humanitarian and development partnership with Afghanistan, highlighting wide-ranging assistance across all 34 provinces and over 500 projects.

"India's capacity-building and humanitarian assistance initiatives for the Afghan people can be seen in all 34 provinces and in more than 500 development partnership projects. We are focusing on healthcare, public infrastructure, and capacity building. We are intensifying our cooperation with UN agencies, as well as others such as the Afghan Red Cross Society, in priority areas of the Afghan people. The visits to India of Afghan ministers last year have ensured necessary planning and coordination so that our support reaches the intended beneficiaries," he added.

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