India has strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations, accusing it of spreading state-sponsored “misinformation and disinformation” by referring to militant groups operating within its territory as “Fitna al Hindustan.”
Addressing a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Pakistan was attempting to shift responsibility for its internal security challenges onto India.
Islamabad has in recent months issued official notifications directing government agencies to describe several militant groups as “Fitna al Hindustan,” alleging that they are backed by India. However, Pakistan has not presented evidence to support these claims.
Responding to the allegations, Harish said the terminology was part of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at misleading both domestic and international audiences.
“Pakistan coming up with official notifications, directing its government agencies to start referring to groups inside its own borders as ‘Fitna al Hindustan’, is nothing but officially sponsored misinformation and disinformation dressed in religious terminology,” he said.
The Indian envoy argued that the narrative was designed to perpetuate hostility towards India and divert attention from Pakistan’s internal political and economic challenges.
Describing the campaign as “an organised factory of hate”, Harish said it sought to distract the Pakistani public by creating external enemies instead of addressing domestic issues.
He also criticised Pakistan’s political structure and the growing influence of its military establishment, pointing to recent constitutional amendments as evidence of increasing military dominance over civilian institutions.
Turning to regional security concerns, Harish condemned Pakistan’s military actions across the Afghanistan border and accused Islamabad of causing civilian casualties through its airstrikes.
“Let me reiterate. Dressing up a massacre as a military operation does not absolve the perpetrator. Killing, maiming and orphaning civilians is not counter-terrorism,” he said.
He further remarked, “Espousing high principles of international law and Islamic solidarity while mercilessly carrying out air strikes during the holy month of Ramadan is the perfect example of hypocrisy.”
Harish maintained that Pakistan has a long-standing pattern of blaming neighbouring countries for its internal difficulties.
The sharp exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, UN records indicated that Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan killed at least 13 civilians, including women and children, sparking one of the most serious border confrontations between the two countries in recent years.
By March, the UN had documented that the cross-border strikes and subsequent military actions had left at least 42 civilians dead and 104 injured, while displacing more than 100,000 people.
Although a brief pause in hostilities helped avert a wider conflict, sporadic clashes continue along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. (ANI)
