NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday forcefully defended its military action under Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian tourists, accusing Pakistan of harboring terrorists and attempting to distort the narrative at the United Nations.Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Kshitij Tyagi, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission, said, “When a state harbours terrorists who massacre innocents, defensive action is not just a right, it is a solemn duty.”Tyagi condemned Pakistan’s attempt to “mischaracterise” the retaliatory strikes, saying the world is not fooled by its “theatre of deception.”He pointedly referred to the barbaric execution of 26 Indian tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, allegedly by Pakistani terrorists, which triggered India’s cross-border military response on May 7.“The UN Security Council rightly condemned this act of terrorism and called for all perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors to be held accountable. And we all know that those sponsors operate from Pakistani soil,” Tyagi said.India’s four-day military campaign under Operation Sindoor targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories, ending on May 10 after an understanding was reached to halt military actions.Tyagi also took aim at Pakistan’s history of glorifying terrorists, saying: “From hosting Osama bin Laden in its military cantonment to conducting state funerals for globally sanctioned terrorists, Pakistan never fails to disappoint. It claims victimhood while remaining the acknowledged epicenter of Jihadist terror.”He dismissed Pakistan’s statements at the UNHRC as an attempt to invert the roles of victim and perpetrator: “Pakistan chose to spend almost its entire speaking time not addressing the global human rights review, but obsessively targeting India with a tired, fabricated narrative.”Tyagi further justified India’s decision to put the Indus Water Treaty into abeyance, calling it a response not only to terrorism but also to evolving climate, energy, and strategic imperatives.“When a nation violates the foundation of a Treaty, it forfeits the right to invoke its protections. A nation cannot serve terror and expect to reap sympathy.”He concluded by reaffirming India’s resolve: “India will continue to act with responsibility and resolve to protect its citizens, its sovereignty, and its values, as any nation must.”
