India Criticizes Pakistan at UNHRC Over Human Rights Record

India on Wednesday condemned Pakistan at the 34th Meeting of the 60th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva, accusing Islamabad of hypocrisy in lecturing other nations on human rights. Indian diplomat Mohammed Hussain urged Pakistan to “confront the persecution of minorities on their own soil.”

“India finds it deeply ironic that a country like Pakistan seeks to lecture others on human rights. Instead of spreading propaganda, Pakistan should address the persecution of minorities domestically,” Hussain said.

The statement comes days after at least 24 civilians, including women and children, were killed in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Officials said explosives stored at a Pakistani Taliban compound detonated, while locals and some political parties alleged the deaths resulted from air strikes in Tirah Valley’s Matur Dara area.

Provincial authorities confirmed that 10 civilians and 14 militants died. Protesters criticized government inaction, and local lawmaker Mohammad Iqbal Khan Afridi decried the “shelling by jets” that killed women and children.

International voices at the UNHRC also highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing human rights challenges. Researcher Josh Bowes noted Pakistan ranks 158th on the World Press Freedom Index, and the 2025 USCIRF report cites over 700 blasphemy-related imprisonments—a 300% rise from last year. He added that enforced disappearances and killings of Baloch and Pashtun communities remain widespread.

Human rights activist Arif Aajakia further highlighted prolonged military operations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, urging the international community to address systemic abuses.