India forcefully rejected Pakistan’s allegations of sexual violence in Jammu and Kashmir during a debate at the United Nations, countering with a sharp reminder of Islamabad’s own troubling record of crimes against women. At the UN Security Council’s open session on conflict-related sexual violence, Indian diplomat Eldos Mathew Punnoos underscored that Pakistan had no moral ground to accuse others, given its own documented history of widespread gender-based atrocities. He pointed out that the Pakistan Army’s brutal crimes in 1971 during the conflict in erstwhile East Pakistan remain one of the darkest chapters of wartime violence against women.
Punnoos highlighted that abuses in Pakistan were not confined to history but continue in the present, particularly against women and girls from minority communities. He drew attention to the widespread abductions, forced marriages, trafficking, and religious conversions that disproportionately affect Hindu girls in Sindh province, noting that even Pakistan’s judiciary often enables these practices. Referring to Pakistan’s claims as “duplicitous and hypocritical,” he stressed that it was deeply ironic for a state with such a record to attempt to position itself as a global voice for justice and accountability.
Citing a 2024 report by the Sustainable Social Development Organization, Punnoos presented stark figures: over 24,000 cases of abductions, 5,000 rapes, and 500 so-called “dishonour killings” were reported in Pakistan within a year. Yet, despite these high numbers, conviction rates remain below two percent, reflecting systemic failures in delivering justice to survivors. Against this backdrop, India’s envoy called for strong international condemnation of perpetrators and urged that survivors be given holistic support, including access to healthcare, legal aid, and rehabilitation services.
Punnoos also drew attention to India’s own proactive efforts in addressing sexual and gender-based violence, both within its borders and in global peacekeeping contexts. He reminded the Council that India was among the first contributors to the UN Secretary-General’s Trust Fund for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, and in 2017, signed a voluntary compact with the UN to eliminate such crimes from peacekeeping operations. As an example of leadership, he noted India’s pioneering role in deploying the first all-women police unit to Liberia in 2007, a model that has since been replicated in other missions, enabling better engagement with local communities and fostering gender-sensitive approaches to peacekeeping.
On the domestic front, India has also established mechanisms aimed at enhancing women’s security and access to justice. Punnoos pointed to the $1.2 billion Nirbhaya Fund, which finances women’s safety initiatives, the launch of a nationwide emergency helpline (112), and the setting up of Sakhi One Stop Centers that provide integrated support, including police assistance, legal aid, and medical care for survivors. These initiatives, he argued, form part of a comprehensive strategy that could serve as a model for protecting women in conflict-affected areas worldwide.
By firmly rebutting Pakistan’s allegations and foregrounding both its failures and India’s contributions, New Delhi not only defended its position but also reinforced its role as a responsible actor in the global fight against sexual and gender-based violence. The intervention at the UNSC made clear that accountability, survivor support, and pragmatic measures, rather than political posturing, are the real benchmarks of leadership on this critical human rights issue.
