India’s UN envoy Parvathaneni Harish slammed Pakistan for its remarks on Kashmiri women.
He accused Pakistan of genocide and hypocrisy over its human rights record.
India reaffirmed its commitment to women’s participation and peacebuilding at the UN.
During an open discussion on women, peace, and security at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 7th October 2025, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, took a strong stand against Pakistan. He criticized the country for its remarks on the situation of Kashmiri women. He accused Pakistan of committing “systematic genocide” and ironically talking about women’s security in India.
Harish said, “A country that bombs its own people and conducts systematic genocide can only attempt to distract the world with misdirection and hyperbole.” He also highlighted Operation Searchlight conducted by Pakistan’s army on East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), which led to over 300,000 Bengali deaths and the displacement of 10 million refugees, as per records. Harish went on to question how Pakistan authorized its army to launch a systematic campaign where 400,000 women citizens were mass raped by their own soldiers.
The discussion took place during the annual UNSC open debate on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, marking the 25th anniversary of Resolution 1325. The resolution was adopted by the UN Security Council on 31st October 2000, which aims to protect women from wartime sexual violence.
Indian representative Harish slammed Pakistan for its comments, calling them a “delusional tirade” against India, especially against “the Indian territory they covet,” which is Jammu and Kashmir. It was a retaliation against the statement made by Pakistan’s Counsellor Saima Saleem, who is part of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations. According to her claims, Kashmiri women “have endured sexual violence for decades” under Indian occupation.
Harish slammed Pakistan at the UN, saying, “Every year, we are unfortunately fated to listen to the delusional tirade of Pakistan against my country.” He highlighted how Pakistan has launched terror attacks repeatedly, with the most recent one being the Pahalgam terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on 22nd April 2025. India retaliated by striking terror sites in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
The Indian ambassador also cited data from Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission, addressing the condition of minority women in Pakistan. The data shows that an estimated 1,000 women from Hindu, Sikh, and Christian communities face forced marriage, religious conversion, and abduction annually. According to Harish, “The situation of women from minority communities in Pakistan remains deplorable.”
India also outlined its contribution to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda at the platform. Being the fifth-largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping, India deployed an all-female Formed Police Unit to Liberia in 2007, becoming the first of its kind. Major Radhika Sen earned the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award in 2023 for her service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The discussion centered around the role of women in peacebuilding in an ever-changing world, initiated by Switzerland. There was also a briefing on the under-representation of women in peace processes by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed. UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous focused on gender-based violence in conflicts such as those in Afghanistan, Gaza, and Sudan while presenting the Secretary-General’s report.
India’s stance was clear, it emphasized the equal participation of women in politics, government, and security, along with the decision-making process, which is important to achieve sustainable peace. The exchange denotes the ongoing hostility between the two nations owing to cross-border incidents and the Kashmir dispute. [Rh/SY]
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