India slams Pakistan at UN, says military remains country’s “real rulers”.

India has hit back at Pakistan’s attempts at the UN to paint a “propaganda” image of New Delhi, saying Islamabad’s “Form 47 government” “dare not” override instructions from the country’s real rulers, the Pakistan Army.

Form 47 is an official election document in Pakistan that records provisional, consolidated voting results in a constituency.

The February 2024 general election was marred by allegations of rigging and irregularities, with critics using the term “Form 47” to cast doubt on the official results.

During an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues at the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on Saturday (October 25, 2026), Permanent Mission of India to the UN First Secretary Raghoo Puri accused Pakistan of trying to “paint a propaganda image” of India.

Islamabad’s actions, he said, are aimed at diverting attention from its own domestic problems, including economic woes, lawlessness and human rights abuses.

“What better way to divert attention from the ailing economy, general lawlessness and rampant human rights violations from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan,” Mr Puri said.

“But of course the interest of the Fauja, the Pakistan Army, who are the real rulers of the country, is paramount and we fully understand the plight of the Pakistani official,” he said.

Mr Puri questioned Islamabad’s record on protecting minority rights, even as he sought to criticize India at the United Nations, pointing out that it was well documented that Pakistan’s minorities had shrunk dramatically since its independence.

Pakistan often raises the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in international forums, challenging India’s position in the region.

Rejecting Islamabad’s claim, Mr. Puri reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral and inalienable part of India and asserted that the only outstanding issue was the release of areas under Pakistan’s illegal occupation.

“We would urge the Pakistani delegate to heed the advice of her countrymen, look inward and focus on the welfare of her own citizens first,” he said.

Mr Puri then used the term “Form 47 government” used by critics of Pakistan’s ruling dispensation in relation to allegations of rigging in the country’s 2024 general elections.

“But unfortunately, we understand that the Form 47 government does not dare to overwrite the instructions of the Pakistan Army,” he said, adding that the interests of the armed forces, which he described as the “real rulers of the country,” came first.

The message comes amid long-standing concerns over the influence of Pakistan’s military on the country’s political system.

Regarding the report of the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Mr. Puri said that India agreed with the premise that the protection and promotion of minority rights was primarily the sovereign responsibility of individual countries.

“According to the principle of sovereign equality, a country’s internal affairs should be handled according to the rules and regulations that govern it. We are ready to have an open and honest conversation in multilateral forums to deal with these complex challenges,” he said.

Mr. Puri emphasized that India is the most multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multilingual society in the world and diversity is the central ethos of its civilization.

“We are proud of it,” he said, pointing to constitutional provisions guaranteeing the rights of religious and linguistic minorities.

He said members of the minority communities have contributed significantly to India’s economic, social and cultural development, including the country’s highest constitutional offices, government institutions, armed forces, law enforcement agencies, film industry and corporate sector.

Mr Puri beat Pakistan’s record in this regard and said he was “hard-pressed” to find comparable examples from a neighboring country.

Published – 25 Oct 2026 11:50 IST