External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered one of India’s strongest statements on cross-border terrorism during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, accusing Pakistan of turning terrorism into “state policy.”
Opening with the words, “Namaskar from the people of Bharat,” Jaishankar reminded delegates of the UN’s founding ideals. “The UN Charter calls on us not just to prevent war, but to build peace. Not just to defend rights, but to uphold the dignity of every human being,” he said.
In a direct reference to Pakistan, Jaishankar cited the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people. “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. The most recent example of cross-border barbarism was the murder of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in April this year,” he said.
Jaishankar stressed that countering terrorism remains a priority for India as it combines “bigotry, violence, intolerance and fear.” He said India would defend its citizens and bring perpetrators to justice but warned that the international community must act collectively.
Also Read : India slams Pak PM Sharif for absurd theatrics at UN
“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 said.
The minister called for choking terror financing and applying “relentless pressure on the entire terrorism ecosystem.” He also warned those who condone Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack.
“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.”
Sharif responds at UN
In his own address to the UN General Assembly, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused India of violating international law by putting the Indus Waters Treaty on hold after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Sharif also criticised India’s policies in Kashmir, saying Pakistan would continue to support Kashmiris in their pursuit of what he called their “fundamental right to self-determination.”
India swiftly rejected Pakistan’s claims, accusing Islamabad of glorifying terrorism and engaging in “absurd theatrics” at the United Nations.
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