India’s permanent representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish (File photo)
NEW DELHI: India has strongly rebuked Pakistan at the United Nations over what it described as Islamabad’s attempt to label militant groups operating within its territory as “Fitna al Hindustan” as part of a state-sponsored propaganda campaign.The Indian response came after Pakistan sought to frame India on a global stage using the United Nations platform.Speaking at a UN security council session focused on the situation in Afghanistan, India’s permanent representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, highlighted Islamabad’s attempts to deflect blame onto New Delhi.The Indian envoy strongly countered Pakistan’s narrative, describing it as a fabricated rhetoric aimed at misleading both the Pakistani public and the international community.Envoy Parvathaneni Harish said, “Pakistan coming up with official notifications, directing its government agencies to start referring to groups inside its own borders as ‘Fitna al Hindustan’, is nothing but officially sponsored misinformation and disinformation dressed in religious terminology.” He said the narrative was part of a calculated effort by the Pakistani establishment to perpetuate hostility towards India. Describing it as an “organised factory of hate”, Harish argued that the campaign was aimed at diverting attention from Pakistan’s domestic political and economic challenges by creating an external enemy.The Indian envoy also criticised Pakistan’s political structure and the military’s growing influence in governance, citing recent constitutional changes as evidence of increasing military control over civilian institutions.Turning to regional security, India held Pakistan responsible for civilian casualties caused by its crossborder military operations in Afghanistan.”Let me reiterate. Dressing up a massacre as a military operation does not absolve the perpetrator. Killing, maiming and orphaning civilians is not counter-terrorism,” Harish said.He added, “Espousing high principles of international law and Islamic solidarity while mercilessly carrying out air strikes during the holy month of Ramadan is the perfect example of hypocrisy.”Harish further said Pakistan has a long history of blaming its neighbours for its own internal problems.The sharp exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, UN records showed that Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan killed at least 13 civilians, including women and children, triggering one of the most serious border crises between the two countries in recent years.For the past several months, Pakistan has been locked in a tense standoff with neighbouring Afghanistan under Taliban rule, with the confrontation escalating into crossborder military action that has resulted in major casualties.On the contrary, the two-faced Islamabad is also advocating dialogue and peaceful resolution of tensions between Iran and the United States while itself engaging in military escalation along its border with Afghanistan.By March, the UN reported that the strikes and subsequent military actions had left at least 42 civilians dead and 104 injured, while displacing more than 100,000 people.Tensions escalated further after Afghan officials alleged that a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul killed more than 400 people. The UN independently verified at least 269 deaths.Although a brief pause in fighting prevented a wider conflict, sporadic clashes continue along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
