Pakistan faced a fresh rebuke at the United Nations (UN), as India hit out at Islamabad’s military’s grip on power. India accused Islamabad of lecturing others on the rule of law despite its own record on democracy, judicial independence and human rights. The remarks were delivered during a UN General Assembly discussion, where India also raised concerns over political restrictions, military trials of civilians and press freedom in Pakistan.
India Hits Back At Pakistan
Exercising its Right of Reply on Friday at the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, Counsellor R Mythili of India’s Permanent Mission to the UN criticised Pakistan’s remarks on the rule of law at national and international levels. “It is ironic to hear lectures on rule of law from a nation whose own record makes a mockery of it,” Mythili said.
Mythili argued that a country where the military holds decisive influence cannot lecture others on the rule of law. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN also shared a video of the moment on X, stating, “At the @UN, Pakistan lectures others on the rule of law. Yet at home, the Army is the rule, and the Army is the law.”
India Raises Concerns Over Judicial Independence
Mythili criticised Pakistan’s 26th Constitutional Amendment, describing it as a “real blow” to judicial independence. She raised concerns about civilians being tried in military courts, restrictions on political opposition, and pressure on Supreme Court judges. Referring to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, she questioned his imprisonment and alleged denial of medical treatment despite directions from Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
“A state that places its military rulers beyond the reach of its own courts is in no position to lecture on the rule of law in this committee,” she noted. Mythili further accused Islamabad of preventing a popular political party from contesting elections and suppressing human rights. “I say only one thing to my Pakistani colleague: Listen to your people,” Mythili said.
India Rejects Pakistan’s Allegations
Speaking further, Mythili rejected Pakistan’s allegations over its treatment of religious minorities, calling them a “tactical diversion” from Islamabad’s own record. She highlighted that the share of minorities in Pakistan’s population had steadily declined since the country’s creation. “And in such a country, what can be the state of the fourth pillar of democracy?” she said. India’s remarks come at a time when Pakistan has imposed an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over security concerns.
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