- Islamabad’s envoy says Delhi’s ‘Terroristan’ slur demeans a UN member state
- Cites Indian intelligence networks, Kulbhushan Jadhav case, recalls May aggression by India that killed 54, including women and kids
- Emphasizes dialogue and diplomacy for prosperity of South Asia’s 1.9 billion people
NEW YORK: Pakistan on Saturday strongly denounced India for branding it “Terroristan” during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), terming the remark “utterly shameful” and an insult to an entire people. The fiery exchange marked the second high-voltage clash between the two South Asian neighbours during the ongoing UN session.
Exercising his right of reply, Pakistani diplomat Muhammad Rashid, a second secretary at the Pakistan Mission, rebuked his Indian counterpart Rentala Srinivas, who had accused Pakistan of promoting terrorism, declaring: “By resorting to mockery of a sovereign state’s name, India has only revealed its own frustration and pettiness.”
“This is not a local political congregation,” Rashid told the 193-member Assembly. “Such rhetoric diminishes India’s credibility, showing it has no substantive arguments to offer—only cheap slurs unworthy of serious discourse.” He added that India’s accusations were undermined by credible reports implicating Indian intelligence networks in sabotage, targeted killings, and destabilization efforts in neighbouring countries.
The Pakistani diplomat accused India of habitually violating international law and fueling rather than fighting terrorism. He cited Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval officer arrested in Pakistan, as proof of India’s covert operations. Rashid also dismissed Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s earlier remarks branding Pakistan the “epicentre of global terrorism,” calling them “devoid of facts” and part of a smear campaign.
Responding to India’s claim about the Pahalgam incident, Rashid noted that Pakistan condemned the attack, offered an independent investigation, and rejected the “reflexive blame game” devoid of evidence. He recalled India’s “blatant aggression” between May 7–10, which killed 54 civilians, including 15 children and 13 women, adding that Pakistan exercised its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, downing multiple Indian aircraft in response.
Highlighting Pakistan’s sacrifices—over 90,000 lives lost in fighting terrorism—Rashid stressed that the country remains a “pillar of global counterterrorism efforts.” He also condemned Indian state terrorism in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and staged encounters.
Reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to peace, he said: “South Asia’s 1.9 billion people deserve prosperity and stability. These goals cannot be achieved through intimidation. True progress demands sincerity, dialogue, and diplomacy—principles Pakistan has upheld, and which India must embrace if it truly seeks peace.”
