India on Monday condemned Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council and accused it of historic atrocities, including bombing its own citizens and orchestrating mass rape during the 1971 crackdown in then-East Pakistan.
Speaking during an open debate on Women, Peace and Security, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Pakistan's military committed "systematic genocide" and sanctioned the mass rape of over 400,000 women during Operation Searchlight in 1971.
"Every year, we are unfortunately fated to listen to the delusional tirade of Pakistan against my country, especially on Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian territory they covet," Harish said.
“A country that bombs its own people and conducts systematic genocide can only attempt to distract the world with misdirection and hyperbole.”
Harish's comments came in response to Pakistan's representative raising the Kashmir issue, claiming the exclusion of Kashmiri women from the UNSC agenda undermined its credibility.
India hit back sharply, accusing Pakistan of exploiting the forum to spread propaganda. “The world sees through Pakistan’s narrative,” Harish asserted.
The envoy reaffirmed India's strong record on the Women, Peace and Security agenda, citing its pioneering role in UN peacekeeping.
He highlighted that as early as the 1960s, India deployed women medical officers in UN missions in the Congo, one of the first countries to do so.
“India’s peacekeeping legacy stands out not just for its scale but for recognizing women as indispensable agents of peace,” he said.
He also referenced the International Conference on Women Peacekeepers from the Global South, hosted by India in February 2025.
The event gathered women peacekeepers from 35 countries to develop strategies for enhancing their roles in future missions, tackling issues from sexual exploitation to the use of technology.
(With inputs from PTI)