In a forceful response to Pakistan’s accusations at the UN General Assembly, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar firmly rejected Pakistan’s claims and warned of consequences for its continued support of terrorism. Addressing the Assembly in New York, Jaishankar stated unequivocally, “Pakistan’s policy of cross-border terrorism will never succeed. And it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences.” He further emphasized that the only issue to be resolved is Pakistan’s illegal occupation of Indian territory and its long-standing support for terrorism.
Jaishankar went on to characterize Pakistan’s actions as “antithetical of everything that the world stands for.” He pointed out that terrorism in all its forms must be resolutely opposed and that political motives should not hinder the sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations.
In a scathing critique of Pakistan’s domestic and international policies, Jaishankar asserted that Pakistan’s “GDP can be measured in terms of radicalization” and its “exports in the form of terrorism.” He argued that while some countries face difficulties due to circumstances beyond their control, Pakistan has made “conscious choices with disastrous consequences.” He stated, “Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can’t blame the world; this is only karma.”
Jaishankar further declared that “A dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others must be exposed and must be countered.”
The Indian delegation’s strong stance came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s speech at the UNGA, where he urged India to restore Article 370 and engage in dialogue regarding Kashmir. Sharif claimed that Pakistan would “respond most decisively to any Indian aggression” and demanded a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Earlier, Bhavika Mangalanandan, the First Secretary of India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, had called out Pakistan’s hypocrisy for raising Kashmir and questioning the Jammu and Kashmir elections in India’s Right to Reply at the UNGA session.
The exchange highlights the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, with both sides accusing each other of supporting terrorism and violating human rights. The issue of Kashmir remains a significant source of friction between the two nuclear-powered nations.
