India has ripped apart Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council, opposing its neighbour’s presence during talks on the protection of civilians in conflict zones.
Calling Pakistan’s position “grossly hypocritical”, India said that terrorists and civilians mean the same to this country and it shouldn’t talk about civilian protection.
According to reports, Harish Puri, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, said these words at the UNSC Open Debate titled ‘Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’.
The forum discussed threats faced by humanitarian workers, journalists, civilians, and UN personnel.
Ambassador Puri reminded the forum about the decades of Pakistani-sponsored terrorist attacks targeting India across its borders, the 2008 Mumbai attacks , and the recent killing of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in April 2025 being stark reminders of what Pakistan stands for.
He said the victims of Pakistani terrorism are usually civilians, adding that the attacks are intended to wear away at the foundation of India’s progress and growing stature as an economic powerhouse. Given this, he insisted, it is deeply offensive for Pakistan to claim a role in discussions on civilian protection.
Further condemning Pakistan, Ambassador Puri accused the Pakistani army of deliberately shelling Indian border villages earlier in the month, causing the deaths of more than 20 civilians and injuring over 80.
Further condemning Pakistan, Ambassador Puri accused the Pakistani army of deliberately shelling Indian border villages earlier in the month, causing the deaths of more than 20 civilians and injuring over 80.
Thus, to speak about civilian protection after abominable actions smacks of hypocrisy.
Moreover, he highlighted that Pakistan has repeatedly exploited civilians as cover to advance terrorism. Ambassador Puri cited recent instances where senior Pakistani government, police, and military officials publicly paid respects at funerals of terrorists eliminated by Indian counterterrorism operations, specifically referencing Operation Sindoor.
This, he believed, confirms Pakistan’s incapacity to tell terrorists from civilians and makes it ineligible to have any moral standing on the issue.
In sum, India’s ambassador delivered a powerful denunciation of Pakistan’s conduct, insisting that Pakistan’s record of terrorism and deliberate attacks on civilians disqualifies it from participating credibly in any global conversation about the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
