India criticizes Pakistan for ‘fabricating’ Islamophobic stories at UN, condemns Ahmadiyya repression, Afghan bombings

India on Monday called out Pakistan at the United Nations for habitually “fabricating” stories of Islamophobia against the neighboring country, while questioning Islamabad’s own record on its treatment of minorities and its actions against Afghanistan during Ramadan.On the occasion of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia at the UN General Assembly, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathneni Harish issued a sharp rebuke to Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), while also urging the UN to avoid frameworks that focus only on one faith rather than tackling all forms of religious discrimination.

‘India’s Western Neighbor’ creates stories of Islamophobia

“India’s western neighbor is a classic example of creating imaginative stories of Islamophobia in its own neighbourhood,” Harish said.In a scathing attack, he said: “Wonder what one would call the brutal repression of Ahmadis in this country, or the mass withdrawal of hapless Afghans or the aerial bombing campaign in this holy month of Ramadan?”Harish was responding to Pakistan’s repeated attempts to level allegations against India in multilateral forums under the banner of Islamophobia.He also said that the OIC, which “our western neighbor has systematically attempted to arm against India”, has repeatedly made “false and baseless allegations” against the country.

India warns against weaponizing religion at UN

Harish stressed that the UN must pay attention to “the growing trend and dangers of weaponizing religious identity and instrumentalizing it to serve narrow political objectives by state and non-state actors alike.”According to news agency PTI, he cautioned that politicizing religion does not resolve grievances and instead risks legitimizing “selective, polarizing narratives” that deepen divisions.“The United Nations was conceived as an institution that transcends religion, culture and politics. Its credibility rests on universality and impartiality,” he said.He further urged “caution against frameworks that focus exclusively on one faith, without addressing the broader phenomenon of religious fear in all its manifestations.”India also underlined that the 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination based on Religion or Belief remains a balanced and enduring instrument as it protects the followers of all religions without privileging any one religion.

India highlights its Muslim population, Kashmir e-presentation

Emphasizing on India’s pluralistic character, Harish said India is home to more than 200 million Muslims, one of the largest Muslim populations in the world.He said that Muslims in India, including Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir, elect their representatives to speak for them.“The only ‘phobia’ clearly visible here is against the multicultural and peaceful co-existence that all communities in India enjoy, including the Muslim community,” he said.He said such narratives run contrary to the “fundamental ethos” of India and instead “have perpetuated communalism and terrorist mentality in this country since its inception.”

Afghanistan context adds sharp edge

Harish referred to the “aerial-bombing campaign in this holy month of Ramzan” amid rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.Afghanistan has alleged that an air strike on Kabul’s Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital on Monday night killed nearly 400 people and injured nearly 250, with Taliban spokesmen blaming Pakistan. However, Pakistani media outlet Samaa, citing security sources, rejected the allegation and described as “ridiculous” the claim that a drug treatment hospital was attacked.Pakistani officials said the strikes targeted Taliban-linked military infrastructure in Kabul and Nangarhar and were carried out with “no collateral damage”.