India's Permanent Representative P. Harish confronted Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council on 21 May 2026, citing a UNAMA report that documented 750 civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan in the first three months of 2026 as a direct result of cross-border armed violence by Pakistani military forces, the majority caused by air strikes. The remarks came during an open debate on 'Protection of civilians in armed conflict', convened under China's presidency of the Council.

The UNAMA Findings

Harish quoted extensively from the UNAMA Human Rights Service report titled 'Cross-border civilian casualties in Afghanistan', released on 10 May 2026. The report recorded Pakistan's attacks across Afghanistan in the first quarter of 2026, noting that among the victims were 72 women, 48 girls, and 95 boys. The report further underscored that international humanitarian law explicitly prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, and mandates that parties to any conflict 'must at all times distinguish between civilians and combatants.'

The Kabul Hospital Strike

The most damning allegation centred on a Pakistani airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul during Ramadan in March 2026. According to UNAMA, the strike claimed the lives of 269 civilians and injured a further 122. Harish noted that the air strikes occurred 'at the conclusion of tarawih evening prayers, when numerous patients were leaving the masjid' — a detail drawn directly from the UNAMA report. He described the attack as a strike on a facility that 'can by no means be justified as a military target.'

India's Rebuke of Pakistan's UN Address

Harish's remarks were a direct response to Pakistan's Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who had raised the issue of Kashmir during the debate. Harish dismissed the move as a deflection, stating: 'It is ironic that Pakistan, with its long-tainted record of genocidal acts, has chosen to refer to issues that are strictly internal to India.' He added: 'It is hypocritical to espouse high principles of international law while targeting innocent civilians in the dark.' Summing up India's position, he said: 'With no faith, no law, and no morality, the world can see through Pakistan's propaganda.'

Historical Context Invoked

Harish also drew a line from Pakistan's current conduct to its historical record, referencing Operation Searchlight in 1971, during which he said Pakistan 'sanctioned the systematic campaign of genocidal mass rape of 400,000 women citizens by its own army' — alluding to atrocities committed during Bangladesh's freedom struggle. He argued that 'such inhuman conduct reflects Pakistan's repeated attempts over decades to externalise internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence both within and beyond its borders.' Over 94,000 people reportedly became refugees as a result of Pakistan's cross-border violence against Afghan civilians, according to the figures Harish cited.

What Comes Next

The UNAMA report's findings place fresh pressure on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for cross-border strikes. India's intervention at the Security Council signals a broader diplomatic strategy of confronting Pakistan on multilateral platforms with documented evidence rather than bilateral assertions. Whether the Council takes any formal action remains to be seen, but the public record — and the UNAMA data underpinning it — now forms part of the official UN debate.