India Condemns Pakistan's 'Constitutional Coup', Demands Accountability Over Military Supremacy

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India has strongly criticized Pakistan's recent constitutional amendments, which grant the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) lifetime immunity and bolster military powers. Addressing the UN, India's Representative Parvathaneni Harish urged Pakistan to 'introspect' on the rule of law and the role of its armed forces in shaping constitutional developments. Parvathaneni Harish made the remarks during the UN Security Council Open Debate, where Pakistan's military powers were a major point of contention. The 27th Constitutional Amendment, passed in November, formalized military supremacy in the country and centralized command of all armed forces under one person. Field Marshal Asim Munir, the first CDF, was appointed for a five-year term and granted additional charges of the navy and air force, as well as lifetime immunity from arrest and prosecution. India's rebuke of Pakistan's actions came as it also slammed the country's 'false and self-serving account' of Operation Sindoor, a military operation launched in May 2025. India maintained that the operation targeted terrorists and terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead. The UN had previously called for the perpetrators of the attack to be held accountable and brought to justice. India's Representative emphasized that its response to the operation was 'measured, non-escalatory, and responsible', and clarified that Islamabad had pleaded with New Delhi for the cessation of hostilities. The move by Pakistan to grant lifetime immunity to its CDF has raised concerns globally, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, previously flagging concerns over the rushed passage of the 27th amendment without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society.