Pakistan forcefully rejected India’s accusations at the United Nations General Assembly, with its Second Secretary Muhammad Rashid describing New Delhi as both a “serial perpetrator of terrorism” and a “regional bully.”
Responding to Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s remarks, Rashid said Pakistan has made immense sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism, losing more than 90,000 lives. He emphasized that Pakistan remains one of the strongest pillars in international counterterrorism efforts, as underscored by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier at the forum.
Rashid countered India’s claims by pointing to reports implicating Indian intelligence networks in sponsoring and directing operations beyond its borders. He alleged that Indian operatives have financed and coordinated groups involved in sabotage and targeted killings, thereby undermining regional stability and international law.
“India is not just a serial perpetrator of terrorism; it is a regional bully, destabilizing South Asia with hegemonic designs and radical ideology that fuels hate and division,” Rashid declared.
The Pakistani envoy also criticized India for mocking Pakistan’s name during the proceedings, calling the move undignified and a deliberate insult to an entire nation. He said such rhetoric demonstrated India’s lack of substantive arguments and diminished its credibility on the world stage.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the UNGA earlier this week, reiterated Pakistan’s desire for peace after what he described as a successful defense against Indian aggression in May. “We have won the war, and now we seek to win peace in our part of the world,” he told world leaders, praising the role of Pakistan’s armed forces under Field Marshal Asim Munir and the air force in repelling India’s offensive.
The exchange marked another heated episode in the long-running rivalry between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with both sides trading accusations of terrorism and destabilization before the global community.