India launched a sharp attack on Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council, condemning Islamabad’s military strikes inside Afghanistan as a “massacre” and accusing it of violating international humanitarian
law while causing widespread civilian casualties.
Speaking during a UNSC briefing on the situation in Afghanistan, India’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said Pakistan’s actions amounted to killing civilians under the guise of counter-terrorism and called it a “perfect example of hypocrisy.”
“Dressing up a massacre as a military operation does not absolve the perpetrator,” Parvathaneni said, asserting, “Killing, maiming and orphaning civilians is not counter-terrorism.”
India also called for full compliance with international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality, and backed UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) calls for independent investigations into civilian casualties to ensure accountability.
India Accuses Pakistan Of Civilian Killings And ‘Trade Terrorism’
Citing UNAMA data, India noted that 372 civilians were killed and 397 injured in the first three months of 2026 alone, with a significant number of casualties occurring during Ramadan. The Indian envoy accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting Afghan territory while simultaneously obstructing trade and transit routes for Afghanistan, describing the policy as “trade and transit terrorism.”
India said Afghanistan’s status as a landlocked nation had been weaponised by Pakistan through restrictions on cross-border movement of goods, calling it a violation of international trade norms, UN declarations on landlocked developing countries and the UN Charter.
To counter this, India highlighted its own efforts to keep Afghan trade routes open, including tariff-free market access and an operational air freight corridor.
India Highlights Humanitarian Aid Across Afghanistan
In contrast to its criticism of Pakistan, India used the UNSC platform to outline its extensive humanitarian and development assistance in Afghanistan, which it said spans all 34 provinces and includes more than 500 projects. Since 2021, India has supplied over 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 420 tonnes of medicines and vaccines and 40,000 litres of pesticides. In April 2026 alone, it dispatched emergency flood relief supplies and vaccines, including BCG and tetanus-diphtheria doses.
India also detailed healthcare projects such as maternity clinics in Paktika, Khost and Paktia, upgrades to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul and upcoming facilities including an oncology centre, trauma centre and a 30-bed hospital. Afghan children with congenital heart diseases continue to receive treatment in India under medical support programmes.
