‘Bombs its own people, sanctions genocidal mass rape’: India slams Pakistan at UNSC
United Nations (PTI): In a strong retort against Pakistan in the UN Security Council, India on Monday said its neighbour as a country that “bombs its own people” and conducts “systematic genocide”.
During his remarks to the UNSC open debate on “Women, Peace and Security”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said Pakistan conducted Operation Searchlight in 1971 and sanctioned a systematic campaign of genocidal mass rape of 400,000 women citizens by its own army.
“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,” the Indian envoy said.
“A country that bombs its own people, conducts systematic genocide, can only attempt to distract the world with misdirection and hyperbole,” Harish said.
The world sees through Pakistan’s propaganda, he added.
On March 25, 1971, the Pakistani army had launched a brutal crackdown involving widespread civilian killings throughout East Pakistan code-named ‘Operation Searchlight’.
Harish told the council meeting chaired by Russia that India’s record on the "women, peace and security" agenda is unblemished and unscathed.
India’s strong response in the council came after Pakistan, in its statement, raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. “To exclude Kashmiri women from the Women, Peace and Security agenda erases its legitimacy and undermines its universality,” the Pakistani delegate said in her statement.
Harish, in his remarks, also said that India remains unwavering in its commitment to the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda and stands ready to share its expertise with partners, particularly those in the Global South, fostering collective solutions to shared challenges.
He highlighted India’s consistent contribution to UN peacekeeping as an expression of its commitment to global peace.
“What distinguishes India's peacekeeping legacy is not merely the scale of our contribution, but our pioneering recognition of women as indispensable agents of peace,” he said.
As early as the 1960s, India deployed women medical officers to the Congo, marking one of the earliest instances of women serving in UN peacekeeping operations, the ambassador said.
This was not merely a symbolic gesture but a practical acknowledgement that women's perspectives, skills, and presence are essential to effective peacekeeping, he said.
In February 2025, India hosted the International Conference on Women Peacekeepers from the Global South, bringing together women peacekeepers from 35 nations.
The two-day gathering examined the evolving challenges facing women in peacekeeping operations — from addressing sexual exploitation and abuse to leveraging technology for enhanced effectiveness.
The conference was not merely a forum for discussion but a platform for developing actionable strategies to increase women's participation and their impact in future peace missions, he said.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
