India strongly rebutted Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday (September 26, 2025), accusing Islamabad of glorifying terrorism and distorting facts. First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Petal Gahlot, delivered India’s right of reply, calling Sharif’s statements “absurd theatrics.”

India rejects Pakistan’s claims

Sharif, in his speech to the 80th UNGA session, referred to ‘Operation Sindoor’ and claimed that seven Indian jets were damaged during the May conflict. India denied these claims, noting that Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh had confirmed that Indian forces shot down five Pakistani jets and a large aircraft during the operation.

Petal Gahlot reminded the assembly that on April 25, 2025, Pakistan shielded “The Resistance Front – a Pakistani-sponsored terror outfit” from accountability for the massacre of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir. She added that India had targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.

Operation Sindoor and Pakistan’s duplicity


Gahlot said, “A picture speaks a thousand words, and we saw many pictures of terrorists slain in Bahawalpur and Muridke terror complexes by Indian forces during Operation Sindoor.” She condemned Pakistan for glorifying terrorists, saying that its military and civilian officials publicly paid homage to notorious terrorists, highlighting the “proclivities of this regime.”

She also emphasised that Pakistan has historically deployed and exported terrorism, sheltering Osama bin Laden for a decade, operating terror camps, and continuing duplicity at the highest level, including the Prime Minister’s address.

Sharif praises Trump, raises Kashmir and Indus Treaty issues

In his speech, Sharif lauded U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating a ceasefire in May, nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and describing him as a “man of peace.” He also criticised India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack and reiterated Pakistan’s support for Kashmir, calling for a plebiscite under UN auspices.

Sharif condemned terrorism “in all its forms” but framed Pakistan as facing “externally-sponsored terrorism” from groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Balochistan Liberation Army. He further urged that “there must be no space for hate speech, discrimination or violence against any person, or against any religion.”

Conclusion

India’s rebuttal underlined the country’s position that the cessation of hostilities in May was achieved through direct military-to-military talks, not third-party intervention. New Delhi dismissed Sharif’s claims as attempts to glorify terrorism and distort facts, emphasising accountability and factual clarity at the UNGA.