India strongly criticized Pakistan at the United Nations (UN) after the neighboring country brought up the Kashmir issue during a meeting. Indian diplomat Kshitij Tyagi did not hold back as he called Pakistan a “failed state” that “survives on international handouts.” His statement at the seventh meeting of the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council made headlines as he exposed Pakistan’s own human rights violations while dismissing its claims about Kashmir.
Who Is Kshitij Tyagi?
Kshitij Tyagi, the Indian diplomat who delivered the fiery response to Pakistan, has an impressive background. Before joining the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), he was an engineer. Tyagi earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. He then pursued an MTech in Thermal Energy and Environment Engineering from the same prestigious institute.
Tyagi’s career began in the private sector. He worked as a business analyst at Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate firm, from 2007 to 2010. However, he soon shifted towards government service, joining the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as a scientist in April 2010. His journey as a diplomat began in 2012 when he cleared the Indian Civil Services Examination, one of the toughest exams in the country, and joined the IFS.
After completing his training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Tyagi began his diplomatic career in the Indian Foreign Service Institute in Delhi. His first overseas posting was in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2014, where he served as a Third Secretary. He later held positions in Brazil as Second Secretary in 2015 and in Egypt as India’s First Secretary in 2018.
In January 2024, Tyagi was appointed First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN. Just a year later, in January 2025, he was promoted to the role of Counsellor at the same mission.
What Did Kshitij Tyagi Say at the UN?
During the UN Human Rights Council meeting, Pakistan once again raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, attempting to criticize India. However, Kshitij Tyagi responded with a sharp rebuttal, stating, “It is regrettable to see Pakistan’s so-called leaders and delegates continuing to dutifully spread falsehoods handed down by its military terrorist complex.”
Tyagi reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, “were, and will always be, an integral and inalienable part of India.” He highlighted the remarkable progress in the region, stating, “The unprecedented political, social, and economic progress in J&K in the past few years speaks for itself. These successes are a testament to the people’s trust in the government’s commitment to bring normalcy to a region scarred by decades of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.”
He also criticized Pakistan’s constant focus on India rather than addressing its own problems, saying, “Pakistan should get over its unhealthy obsession with India and focus on providing actual governance and justice to its own people.”
Pakistan’s History of Human Rights Violations
Tyagi also pointed out that Pakistan has no moral ground to lecture others on human rights. He emphasized that Pakistan’s own state policies are riddled with “human rights abuses, persecution of minorities, and systematic erosion of democratic values.” This statement reflects the global concerns over Pakistan’s treatment of religious minorities, enforced disappearances, and restrictions on free speech.
India’s response at the UN was widely seen as a strong diplomatic pushback against Pakistan’s continued attempts to internationalize the Kashmir issue. With this statement, Tyagi made it clear that India would not tolerate baseless allegations and would continue to expose Pakistan’s failures on the world stage.
