India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) over its air strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where at least 30 people, the majority civilians, were reportedly killed on Monday.
India also accused Pakistan of misusing the forum with “baseless and provocative statements against India”.
Speaking at the 60th Session of the UNHRC, Kshitij Tyagi, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, said Pakistan should “focus on rescuing an economy on life support, a polity muzzled by military dominance, and a human rights record stained by persecution”.
“Instead of coveting our territory, they would do well to vacate the Indian territory under their illegal occupation and focus on rescuing an economy on life support, a polity muzzled by military dominance, and a human rights record stained by persecution — perhaps once they find time away from exporting terrorism, harbouring UN-proscribed terrorists, and bombing their own people,” Tyagi added.
{{/usCountry}}“Instead of coveting our territory, they would do well to vacate the Indian territory under their illegal occupation and focus on rescuing an economy on life support, a polity muzzled by military dominance, and a human rights record stained by persecution — perhaps once they find time away from exporting terrorism, harbouring UN-proscribed terrorists, and bombing their own people,” Tyagi added.
{{/usCountry}}He further emphasised that the Human Rights Council must remain “universal, objective and non-selective”, and urged collective efforts to promote unity and constructive engagement rather than division.
Pakistan Air Force strike kills 30
At least 30 people, including women and children, were killed in air strikes conducted by the Pakistan Air Force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, according to NDTV.
Reports said fighter jets dropped at least eight LS-6 bombs on Matre Dara village in the Tirah Valley at around 2 am, targeting Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. Police sources indicated that Pakistani Taliban fighters had stockpiled explosives in a compound, which detonated during the assault.
Local police officer Zafar Khan told the Associated Press that two Taliban commanders, Aman Gul and Masood Khan, were using the site as a hideout and bomb-making facility. He alleged that militants were employing civilians as human shields and had recently placed weapons in mosques in other districts.
Videos circulated on social media showed wounded children lying on improvised beds as residents inspected the destruction.
The Pakistani government has not yet released a statement on the incident. A senior police official in Tirah told AFP that four houses were struck by the jets, though he did not identify who carried out the attack.
Meanwhile, around 2,000 people gathered in a nearby town on Monday afternoon to demonstrate against the deadly strikes.