India's Permanent Representative P Harish on Monday, 9 June delivered a sharp rebuke of Pakistan at the UN Security Council, defending both Afghanistan and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) after Islamabad questioned the mission's credibility and framed its cross-border air strikes as counter-terrorism operations. India called Pakistan's conduct “unconscioable” and a “perfect example of hypocrisy.”

What India Said at the Security Council

“Support for multilateralism and the United Nations is not an ala carte menu,” Harish told the Council during a session on the situation in Afghanistan. He stressed that Pakistan's air strikes on Afghan territory during the holy month of Ramadan — while simultaneously “espousing high principles of international law and Islamic solidarity” — laid bare a fundamental contradiction in Islamabad's posture.

Harish was unequivocal on Pakistan's framing of the attacks: “Dressing up a massacre as a military operation does not absolve the perpetrator. Killing, maiming and orphaning civilians is not counter terrorism.”

The Civilian Toll: What the UN Report Found

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' report, which Pakistan sought to discredit, documented that 372 Afghans were killed and 392 injured between 26 January and 31 March. The majority of casualties were attributed to air strikes, with additional deaths from cross-border firing and targeted killings.

Among the incidents cited was a strike on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Hospital in Kabul on 16 March, which killed at least 269 people and injured 122 — most of them patients. India reiterated the Secretary-General's “deep concern” at the civilian casualties and backed his call for full compliance with international humanitarian law.

Pakistan's Defence and India's Counter

Pakistan's Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmed alleged that the Secretary-General's report “externalised responsibility” for Afghanistan's situation, and raised “serious questions” about UNAMA's credibility and its engagement with the Taliban. He characterised Pakistan's military actions as legitimate counter-terrorism operations.

India rejected this framing outright. Harish called on the Council to support UNAMA's earlier demand for an independent investigation “to ensure accountability, prevent recurrence and uphold victims' rights.”

India's Support for UNAMA and International Law

“India would like to emphasise the importance of UNAMA and its mandate and underline our full support to UNAMA in these challenging times as it endeavours to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Harish said. New Delhi also backed the Secretary-General's call urging all parties to honour their obligations under international law, including protections for civilian populations.

This is not the first time India has used the Security Council to challenge Pakistan's conduct toward its neighbours. The statement signals New Delhi's continued effort to build a multilateral record against Islamabad's cross-border military actions, even as the Council remains divided on Afghanistan policy. The next UNAMA reporting cycle and any formal accountability mechanism will be closely watched.