India has strongly criticized Pakistan during a United Nations Security Council debate, highlighting its poor record on women's rights and recalling the atrocities committed during the 1971 Operation Searchlight. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, condemned Pakistan's attempts to divert attention from its own history by discussing the situation of women in Kashmir.

Harish stated, "This is a country that conducted Operation Searchlight in 1971 and sanctioned a systematic campaign of genocidal mass rape of 400,000 women citizens by its own army." He emphasized that Pakistan's claims about Kashmir are part of a "delusional tirade" aimed at misdirecting the international community.

The 1971 operation was a brutal crackdown by the Pakistani army against Bengali civilians, resulting in the deaths of millions and widespread sexual violence. Harish pointed out that Pakistan's representative, Saima Saleem, made allegations about sexual violence in Kashmir without providing any evidence.

He further remarked, "A country that bombs its own people, conducts systematic genocide, can only attempt to distract the world with misdirection and hyperbole." This comment referred to recent incidents in Pakistan where airstrikes resulted in civilian casualties.

India's response comes as Pakistan continues to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums, despite a lack of support from other nations. Harish concluded by asserting that the world sees through Pakistan's propaganda and that India's commitment to women's rights and peacekeeping remains strong. He highlighted India's historical contributions to peacekeeping, including the deployment of an all-female police unit in Liberia, which has inspired local women to engage in law enforcement and nation-building.

The debate underscored the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly regarding Kashmir, while also addressing broader issues of women's rights and security on the global stage.