New Delhi, Sep 11: India delivered a sharp Right of Reply at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) rejecting remarks made by Pakistan and Switzerland during the general debate on the oral update by the High Commissioner.
Speaking on behalf of India, Mr. Kshitij Tyagi, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, said, “We are compelled, once again, to address provocations from a country whose own leadership recently likened it to a ‘dump truck’, perhaps an inadvertently apt metaphor for a state that continues to deposit recycled falsehoods and stale propaganda before this distinguished Council.”
Calling out Pakistan’s use of international forums, Tyagi said, “Pakistan’s systematic abuse of this forum, coupled with its routine manipulation of the OIC as its mouthpiece, has become a familiar pattern. Its pathological fixation on India appears to provide it with existential validation.”
The Indian diplomat underscored Pakistan’s record on terrorism: “Lest we forget the carnage of Pahalgam, where Pakistan-sponsored terrorists turned a meadow of joy into a killing field in April this year. Lest we forget 9/11, as the world marks its anniversary tomorrow, even as we witness today the hypocrisy of those who sheltered its mastermind and glorified him as a martyr. Lest we forget Pulwama, Uri, Pathankot, Mumbai… The list is endless, Mr. President.”
Criticising Islamabad for its “audacity” to raise human rights issues, he said, “Yet Pakistan demonstrates the audacity to take the floor today, feigning moral outrage while continuing to finance and shelter the very networks that threaten global security. The international community recognizes this charade for what it is. The world will not forget. India will not forget. Our measured and proportionate response to the Pahalgam attack made that sufficiently clear.”
He asserted, “We need no lessons from a terror sponsor; no sermons from a persecutor of minorities; no advice from a state that has squandered its own credibility. India will continue to protect its citizens with unwavering resolve. We will defend our sovereignty without compromise. And we will continue to expose, time and again, the elaborate deception of a failed state whose survival depends upon trafficking in terror and tragedy.”
India also voiced displeasure at Switzerland’s remarks, despite calling it a “close friend and partner.” Tyagi said, “We would also like to respond to the surprising, shallow, and ill-informed remarks made by Switzerland. As it holds the UNHRC Presidency, it is all the more important for Switzerland to avoid wasting the Council’s time with narratives that are blatantly false and do not do justice to the reality of India. Instead, it should focus on its own challenges such as racism, systematic discrimination, and xenophobia. As the world’s largest, most diverse, and vibrant democracy with a civilizational embrace of pluralism, India remains ready to help Switzerland address these concerns.”
The Right of Reply was exercised under Agenda Item 2: General Debate at the ongoing session of the UNHRC (8 September – 8 October 2025).
