UNGA showdown: Jaishankar slams terror, Pakistan reacts, India fires back
India delivered a strong message against global terrorism at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar outlining the threat posed by states that sponsor and glorify terror. Without naming Pakistan, he said India has faced terrorism since independence because “a neighbour has become the main centre of global terrorism,” and most major terror attacks worldwide have been traced back to that country. He cited the killing of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in April as a recent example of cross-border terrorism and emphasised India’s right to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Jaishankar also called for collective international action against terror, stressing that financing and glorification of terrorism must be cut off and that relentless pressure should be applied to the entire terror ecosystem. He highlighted India’s global contributions, from development projects in 78 countries to humanitarian aid, peacekeeping, and ensuring safe maritime trade, and reaffirmed India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism.
Despite not being named, Pakistan immediately reacted during its Right of Reply, accusing India of attempting to “malign Pakistan” with “malicious accusations.” The Pakistani delegate claimed India was repeating “deliberate lies” and sought to portray the UN remarks as a politically motivated attempt to damage Islamabad’s reputation. Pakistan’s representative defended the country’s position on terrorism and rejected any connection to attacks on Indian soil, portraying India’s allegations as an effort to internationalise bilateral issues.
India responded firmly, noting that Pakistan’s very act of replying,despite not being named, amounted to a tacit admission of its long-standing cross-border terror practices. Rentala Srinivas, Second Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission, said, “Pakistan's reputation speaks for itself. Its fingerprints are visible in terrorism across multiple regions. No falsehoods can ever whitewash the crimes of terroristan.”
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, went further, describing Pakistan’s statements as “absurd theatrics” and accusing the Prime Minister of glorifying terrorism, which she said is central to Islamabad’s foreign policy. She highlighted Pakistan’s shielding of a terror group responsible for the Pahalgam massacre, its decades-long support for terror camps, and its harboring of Osama bin Laden. Kamboj noted Pakistan’s military threats followed by pleas for ceasefire after Indian strikes, mocking its claims of victory. She concluded that India would hold both terrorists and their sponsors accountable, and reiterated that all disputes between India and Pakistan must be resolved bilaterally.
This exchange at the UNGA reinforced India’s consistent stance: terrorism has no borders, accountability is global, and Pakistan must confront the consequences of its policies.