NEW YORK: Pakistan has strongly rejected India’s allegations of terrorism, accusing India of being the only country that practices state-sponsored terrorism both domestically and internationally.
Speaking at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Pakistani diplomat Saima Saleem condemned India’s alleged role in supporting terrorist groups targeting Pakistan.
“Through its proxies like TTP, BLA, and Majeed Brigade, Indian-sponsored terrorism has not only claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians in Pakistan but also turned places of worship, learning, and livelihood into sites of carnage,” Saleem said during her right of reply at the High-Level Week of the General Assembly.
“Indian hypocrisy”
Saleem further accused India of hypocrisy, stating it can no longer hide its involvement in aiding, abetting, and financing terrorism in Pakistan, as well as maintaining covert terrorist networks across the region and perpetuating violence in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are compelled to respond to a State that cannot decide whether to masquerade as the world’s largest democracy or expose itself as the world’s largest factory of disinformation,” she added.
India responded by accusing Pakistan’s military of pleading for a cessation of fighting during Operation Sindoor in May. In a pointed reply delivered by Petal Gahlot, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, India asserted there was “no room for any third party” to intervene in the dispute between New Delhi and Islamabad.
“This assembly witnessed absurd theatrics this morning from the prime minister of Pakistan, who once again glorified terrorism that is so central to their foreign policy,” Gahlot said during India’s Right of Reply at the UNGA on Friday.
“Recycled falsehoods”
Responding to India’s repeated claims, Saleem stated, “Year after year, India drags its bundle of recycled falsehoods to this forum, but let me set the record straight.” She emphasised Pakistan’s sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism, noting that they have been long recognised by the international community.
“Pakistan’s sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism have for long been recognised by the international community. This forum certainly needs no sermons from an aggressor, occupier, and perpetrator of state-sponsored terrorism,” Saleem concluded.
