United Nations, October 8:
India on Wednesday accused Pakistan of practising “doublespeak” on terrorism, telling the United Nations that the international community had not forgotten the September 11 attacks in the United States, the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks or the Pahalgam terror attack.
India exercised its Right of Reply during a discussion in the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly on measures to eliminate international terrorism, responding to remarks by the Pakistani representative.
First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Raghoo Puri, questioned Pakistan’s claims about combating terrorism and asked what happened when terrorist groups received financing, training, shelter or support from a state’s territory.
“When terrorist groups are allowed to operate under state political power, international commitments become meaningless,” Puri said, adding that providing safe havens to perpetrators denied justice to victims of terrorism.
Referring to the September 11 attacks, Puri said the world had not forgotten where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was eventually found. He also recalled the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the Pahalgam attack, in which victims were allegedly singled out on the basis of their religion.
He said it was ironic that Pakistan spoke about combating religious hatred while, according to India, allowing conditions that enabled cross-border terrorism to persist.
Puri also criticised Pakistan’s announcement of rewards for information concerning Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, questioning the credibility of such gestures in the absence of meaningful action against terrorist networks.
Accusing Islamabad of engaging in misinformation and narrative-building, the Indian diplomat said an effective international counterterrorism regime required two essential elements: assigning responsibility and ensuring accountability.
“India will defend its people, and continued terrorism against India will have consequences,” he said.
In a further response, Puri rejected what he described as Pakistan’s repeated attempts to shape the international narrative instead of taking effective action against terrorism. He also referred to allegations surrounding Pakistan’s 2024 general election.
The exchange reflects continuing diplomatic tensions between the two countries over cross-border terrorism, with India pressing for international accountability and Pakistan disputing Indian allegations.