Pak shelters wanted terrorists, kills civilians at home: India at UNHRC

India has strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), accusing it of “bombing its own people” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and misusing the forum to level “baseless and provocative” allegations against New Delhi.

“Perhaps once they (Pakistan) find time away from exporting terrorism, sheltering UN-designated terrorists and bombing their own people, they may consider constructive engagement,” Indian diplomat Kshitij Tyagi said while addressing the 60th session of the council.

At least 30 civilians — most of them women and children — were killed early Monday when the Pakistan Air Force carried out airstrikes on Matre Dara village in Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Without naming Pakistan, Tyagi said a delegation “which epitomises the antithesis of this approach” continued to abuse this forum (UN) with baseless and provocative statements against India.

“Instead of coveting our territory, they would do well to vacate the Indian territory under illegal occupation and focus on rescuing an economy on life support, a polity muzzled by military dominance and a human rights record stained by persecution,” he said.

Tyagi further stressed the need for the UNHRC to remain universal, objective and non-selective. “Our collective efforts should foster unity and constructive engagement, not division,” he said, voicing concern that country-specific mandates “only fuel perceptions of bias and distract from urgent global challenges”.

He underlined that lasting progress on human rights could be achieved only through dialogue, cooperation and capacity building, always with the consent of the state concerned.