KEY POINTS
- Pakistan highlights sacrifices of 90,000 lives in fight against terrorism
- Accuses India of state terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and cross-border networks
- Cites Kulbhushan Jadav case, Pahalgam incident, and May aggression as examples
- Islamabad says peace requires dialogue, not threats and intimidation
NEW YORK: Pakistan strongly rejected Indian allegations at the United Nations General Assembly, accusing New Delhi of spreading disinformation and engaging in “baseless rhetoric” to malign Islamabad.
India had earlier accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism in the region, a charge Islamabad dismissed as baseless and politically motivated. Responding in the Right of Reply, Pakistan’s representative Muhammad Rashid, Second Secretary at the Pakistan Mission, said that “familiar rhetoric” was once again deployed by India, calling it “completely devoid of facts.”
He asserted that Pakistan had sacrificed over 90,000 lives in combating terrorism, contributions that he said were acknowledged globally.
The envoy accused India of being a “serial perpetrator of terrorism” and a “regional bully” destabilising South Asia. According to the statement, Indian actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir amounted to state terrorism, including “extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, staged encounters, and collective punishment.”
Citing specific incidents, the Pakistani diplomat pointed to the arrest of Indian naval officer Commander Kulbhushan Jadav on charges of espionage and sabotage, calling it proof of India’s “sinister cross-border networks.”
On the Pahalgam incident, Pakistan said it had joined Security Council members in condemning the attack and even offered an independent investigation. However, India rejected the proposal and provided no evidence.
The reply also accused India of mounting “blatant aggression” against Pakistan between May 7–10, which Islamabad said resulted in the deaths of 54 civilians, including women and children. Pakistan claimed it responded in self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, targeting only military sites and downing multiple Indian aircraft.
In a second Right of Reply, Muhammad Rashid condemned India for mocking Pakistan’s name in the UN chamber. “Such language reflects neither maturity nor responsibility,” he said, describing it as a “cheap slur unworthy of serious discourse.” Rashid further alleged that Indian intelligence agencies had been implicated in financing and directing terrorist groups abroad, undermining stability across the region.
Pakistan maintained that peace and prosperity for the 1.9 billion people of South Asia required “sincerity, mutual respect, dialogue and diplomacy.” The statement concluded that India must choose these principles “if it truly seeks peace.”
