New Delhi, October 14 — India launched a sharp counterattack against Pakistan at the United Nations on Monday, accusing it of grave human rights violations and systematic abuses against children, while underscoring India’s own commitment to child welfare and protection.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on the Agenda for the Promotion and Protection of Child Rights, BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey said Pakistan’s record on children and armed conflict was among “the worst in the world.” He contrasted this with India’s welfare programs, thanking the UN for recognising India’s initiatives such as the Child Helpline 1098 and Ujjwala Yojana, which aim to safeguard vulnerable children.
“My delegation thanks the mandate holders for their presentations on the subject of child rights,” Dubey said. “Creating an enabling environment for the protection and holistic development of children is a matter of national importance. We thank the Special Rapporteur for commending India’s efforts, including initiatives like Child Helpline 1098, which provides emergency assistance to children at risk, and Ujjwala Yojana, focused on rescuing and rehabilitating children from trafficking and exploitation.”
Turning to Pakistan, Dubey accused the country of being one of the “most serious violators” of the UN’s Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) agenda. “Pakistan, on the other hand, presents a stark contrast,” he said. “We strongly condemn its attempts to divert global attention from grave abuses against children within its borders, as evidenced by the Secretary-General’s 2025 report on CAAC and the continuing cross-border terrorism.”
Citing the same UN report, Dubey said Pakistan was complicit in attacks on schools and health workers, particularly those serving in girls’ schools and rural areas. “The report details how Pakistan’s attacks on schools and health workers — particularly girls’ schools — and its cross-border shelling have caused the killing and maiming of Afghan children,” he noted.
The Indian MP also referred to Operation Sindoor, describing it as a “measured response” to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed. “If Operation Sindoor is mentioned, the world has not forgotten the brutal, targeted attacks carried out by Pakistan-trained terrorists that took the lives of 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Dubey said India had exercised “restraint and responsibility” despite provocations. “In a considered and balanced response, India exercised its legitimate right to defend its people and bring the perpetrators to justice by conducting surgical strikes on nine terrorist hideouts under Operation Sindoor in May 2025,” he said. “In contrast, Pakistan deliberately targeted our border villages, killing several civilians, including children.”
In his closing remarks, Dubey called on Pakistan to introspect instead of issuing moral lectures at international platforms. “Pakistan must look at itself in the mirror, stop preaching on this platform, act to protect children within its borders, and stop targeting women and children across its borders,” he said.
Later, in a post on X, Dubey wrote, “Today, under the responsibility given by Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistan was reprimanded in the United Nations for its defeat in Operation Sindoor and its current situation.”
India’s statement at the UN marks one of its strongest diplomatic pushbacks against Pakistan in recent months, combining the issues of terrorism and child rights to underline Islamabad’s global isolation on both humanitarian and security grounds.
