India delivered a forceful rebuttal to Pakistan at the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The session, running from 23 February to 31 March 2026, featured sharp exchanges during its high-level segment on 25 February.

Anupama Singh, India's representative, exercised the country's Right to Reply. She categorically rejected allegations levelled by Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Singh accused the OIC of serving as an "echo chamber" for one member state.

Pakistan's claims, Singh asserted, amounted to "incessant propaganda" driven by envy. She reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India." The 1947 accession, she noted, complied fully with the Indian Independence Act and international law.

Singh highlighted the sole unresolved issue: Pakistan's "illegal occupation" of Indian territories. She urged Islamabad to withdraw from those areas without delay.

In a striking reference to infrastructure, Singh pointed to the Chenab Rail Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir. Described as the world's highest railway bridge, it was inaugurated last year. "If the Chenab Rail Bridge... is fake, then Pakistan must be hallucinating or living in the 'La-la-land'," she remarked, drawing attention at the Council.

She contrasted Jammu and Kashmir's progress with Pakistan's woes. The Union's development budget, Singh claimed, exceeds "more than double" the recent IMF bailout package sought by Pakistan.

On democratic processes, Singh dismissed Pakistan's critiques as hypocritical. "It is hard to take lectures on democracy from a country where civilian governments rarely complete their terms," she observed.

Recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir showed high voter turnout, Singh added. This, she said, proves residents have rejected terrorism and violence in favour of development.

Pakistan stands accused of "relentless state-sponsored terrorism" aimed at destabilising the region. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir advances politically, economically, and socially.

Singh advised Pakistan to address its "deepening internal crisis" rather than engaging in "grandstanding" at forums like the UNHRC. "The world can certainly see through its charade," she concluded.

This clash represents the latest in ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan at multilateral platforms. Jammu and Kashmir remains a flashpoint in their bilateral relations.

ANI