India has hit out at Pakistan for its hypocrisy at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for lecturing on human rights violations. Speaking at the 34th Meeting of the 60th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva on Wednesday, Indian diplomat Mohammed Hussain asked Pakistan to “confront the persecution of minorities on their own soil”.
“India finds it deeply ironic that a country like Pakistan seeks to lecture others on human rights. Instead of spreading propaganda, Pakistan should confront the persecution of minorities on their own soil,” Mohammed Hussain said.
India's statement at the UNHRC days after at least 24 civilians, including women and children, were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
{{/usCountry}}India's statement at the UNHRC days after at least 24 civilians, including women and children, were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
{{/usCountry}}At least 24 people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured after explosive materials stored at a compound owned by the Pakistani Taliban exploded in northwest Pakistan, police said.
The residents, however, claimed that air strikes hit the compound in Tirah Valley’s Matur Dara area in Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party's provincial branch claimed that the "jet bombing" in the Tirah Valley destroyed five houses. At least 10 civilians, including women and children, were killed, along with 14 militants in the explosion, Station House Officer, Tirah police Station, Zafar Khan said.
Protesters accused government authorities of failing to ensure the safety of citizens and called upon elected representatives to play an active role in addressing the community’s grievances.
Mohammad Iqbal Khan Afridi, a member of the National Assembly from Khyber, expressed grief in a video message, saying women and children were among those killed in the “shelling by jets".
The UNHRC session also featured international voices, highlighting Pakistan’s ongoing human rights concerns. Josh Bowes, an international geopolitical researcher, pointed out that Pakistan ranks 158th on the World Press Freedom Index.
“The USCIRF Religious Freedom report for 2025 states that over 700 individuals were in prison for blasphemy charges, with a 300 per cent increase from the last year,” he told news agency ANI.
He added that the plight of the Baloch people, noting, “The Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Body documented 785 enforced disappearances and 121 killings in the first half of 2025 alone. The Pashtun national jirga (assembly of Pashtun leaders) said that in 2025, 4000 Pashtuns are still missing.”
Human rights activist Arif Aajakia also expressed concern over Pakistan’s human rights situation, alleging that Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces have been subjected to prolonged military operations.