India has criticised Pakistan’s response to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), describing Islamabad’s reaction as an implicit admission of its “longstanding practice of cross-border terrorism”.
During his address at the UNGA General Debate on Saturday, Jaishankar, without naming Pakistan, stated: “Major international terrorist attacks are traced back to that one country.”
Referring to a “neighbour that is an epicentre of global terrorism”, Jaishankar emphasised that India has faced the challenge of terrorism since Independence.
Why has Pakistan responded despite not being named?
Later in the evening, Pakistan used its Right of Reply to accuse India of attempting to “malign Pakistan” with “malicious accusations” regarding terrorism, despite Jaishankar not explicitly naming the country. The Pakistani delegate called India’s statements a “deliberate attempt to repeat lies”.
Responding to Pakistan, Rentala Srinivas, Second Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, said:
“It is telling that a neighbour who was not named chose to nevertheless respond and admit their longstanding practice of cross-border terrorism.”
“Pakistan’s reputation speaks for itself. Its fingerprints are so visible in terrorism across so many geographies. It is a menace not only to its neighbours but to the entire world.”
“No arguments or untruths can ever whitewash the crimes of terroristan!” he asserted during India’s Right of Reply.
When Pakistan attempted another response, Srinivas walked out of the hall while the Pakistani representative was speaking.
What did Jaishankar highlight in his UNGA speech?
Jaishankar called on the international community to unequivocally condemn nations that treat terrorism as state policy, maintain terror hubs, and glorify terrorists publicly. He stressed the need to choke financing for terrorism and impose sanctions on prominent terrorists, warning that:
“Relentless pressure must be applied on the entire terrorism eco-system… those condoning terror sponsors will find that it comes back to bite them.”
Without directly naming Pakistan, Jaishankar noted that:
“UN’s designated lists of terrorists are replete with its nationals.”
He also cited the Pahalgam killings in April as an example of “cross-border barbarism”, stating:
“India exercised its right to defend its people against terrorism and brought its organisers and perpetrators to justice.”
Why this matters
India’s response at the UNGA underscores its position that Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorism and attempts to malign India internationally. The incident highlights ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries, especially around cross-border terrorism and global accountability.