India strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), accusing it of hypocrisy for delivering lectures on human rights while ignoring violations within its own borders. Addressing the 34th meeting of the 60th UNHRC session in Geneva on Wednesday, Indian diplomat Mohammed Hussain said, “It is deeply ironic that a country like Pakistan attempts to preach on human rights. Instead of running propaganda campaigns, Pakistan must confront the persecution of minorities at home.”
India’s sharp response came days after a deadly incident in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where at least 24 civilians, including women and children, lost their lives. Authorities said explosives stored in a compound belonging to the Pakistani Taliban detonated, leaving several injured.
Local residents, however, claimed that the compound in Tirah Valley’s Matur Dara area was hit by air strikes. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s provincial wing alleged that jet bombings destroyed five houses. According to police official Zafar Khan, at least 10 civilians, among them women and children, were killed alongside 14 militants. The tragedy sparked protests, with residents blaming authorities for failing to protect lives and urging elected representatives to address their concerns. Mohammad Iqbal Khan Afridi, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly from Khyber, shared a video message expressing grief, saying women and children were killed in “shelling by jets.”
The UNHRC session also saw international criticism of Pakistan’s human rights record. Geopolitical researcher Josh Bowes noted that the country ranked 158th on the World Press Freedom Index. He highlighted the 2025 USCIRF Religious Freedom Report, which stated that more than 700 individuals were imprisoned on blasphemy charges — a 300 percent surge from last year. Bowes also pointed to the Baloch National Movement’s report documenting 785 enforced disappearances and 121 killings in the first half of 2025, while the Pashtun jirga reported that 4,000 Pashtuns remain missing this year.
Human rights activist Arif Aajakia further accused Pakistan of subjecting Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to prolonged military operations, adding to the concerns raised on the global stage.