New York: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched a sharp attack on Pakistan while addressing the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, highlighting the country’s role in sponsoring terrorism and linking it to major international attacks. He cited the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists, as part of a continuing pattern of state-backed violence traced back to Pakistan.
Jaishankar stressed that nations that publicly glorify terrorism and maintain terror hubs must be unequivocally condemned. “When nations openly declare terrorism a state policy, when terror hubs operate on an industrial scale, when terrorists are publicly glorified, then such actions must be unequivocally condemned,” he told world leaders.
Pakistan dubbed epicentre of global terrorism
According to Jaishankar, Pakistan has been at the heart of global terrorism for decades. “India has confronted this challenge since its independence, having a neighbour that is an epicentre of global terrorism. For decades now, major international terrorist attacks are traced back to that one country. UN’s designated lists of terrorists are replete with its nationals,” he said.
He further highlighted India’s efforts to counter terrorism, referring to Operation Sindoor, where India exercised its right to defend its people and brought organisers and perpetrators to justice.
Condemning Pakistan’s role in terror financing
Jaishankar called for relentless international pressure on countries that sponsor terror. “The financing of terrorism must be choked even as prominent terrorists are sanctioned. Relentless pressure must be applied on the entire terrorism ecosystem. Those who condone nations that sponsor terror will find that it comes back to bite them,” he said.
The Foreign Minister’s statement came shortly after Petal Gahlot, India’s diplomatic representative at the UN, criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for glorifying terrorism. Gahlot refuted Sharif’s claim that Pakistan “won the war,” stating that Pakistan’s military had pleaded for a cessation of fighting. She added, “If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangars look like victory, as the PM claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it.”
India’s stance on counter-terrorism
Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to confronting terror both domestically and internationally. He underlined that countries condoning or supporting terror must face consequences, and that global collaboration is essential to choke terror financing, sanction terrorists, and dismantle terror networks.
The statements at UNGA are part of India’s broader diplomatic push to hold Pakistan accountable for state-backed terrorism while highlighting India’s own proactive measures in combating terror threats on its soil.
Conclusion
The strong remarks by Jaishankar and the diplomatic rebuttal from Petal Gahlot reflect India’s intent to internationalise the issue of cross-border terrorism, especially in forums like the UNGA, where global opinion can influence sanctions and counter-terror measures. With repeated calls to sanction Pakistan and dismantle terror networks, India continues to press for accountability and justice for victims of terrorism.