New Delhi: India strongly hit back at Pakistan at the United Nations after Islamabad made another intervention during a discussion on eliminating international terrorism. Responding to Pakistan’s remarks, the first Secretary at India’s UN mission, Raghoo Puri, said Islamabad was spending more effort on narrative-building than on actually fighting terrorism.
“Pakistan believes in the circular economy of words and narratives,” Puri said, adding that if the same effort had gone into countering terrorism instead of “narrative building, misinformation and disinformation”, the world would have been a better place.
“But nothing more can be expected from a Form 47 government,” he added, referring to the political controversy surrounding Pakistan’s 2024 election results.
Puri said the bigger question was what happens when terrorists are financed, trained, sheltered or supported from the territory of a state. He argued that terrorism cannot be defeated through statements alone and that action must be taken against the terrorists, their organizers, financiers and sponsors.
India also challenged Pakistan’s attempt to portray itself as victim of terrorism. Puri said groups that Pakistan had helped create had now turned into a threat inside the country itself.
“Pakistan has presented itself as a frontline state in combating terrorism and as a victim,” Puri said, while accusing the country of losing control over the “Frankenstein’s monster” it had created.
He pointed to recent comments by Pakistan’s Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, about the growing terror threat in the province. He also referred to Pakistan former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, 2018 remarks on militant groups operating from Pakistani territory.
“You cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds,” Puri said.
India questions Masood Azhar reward
Puri also questioned Pakistan’s decision to increase the reward for information leading to the arrest of UN-listed Jaish-e-Muhammed chief Masood Azhar.
India said the announcement does little to answer questions about Pakistan’s handling of terror groups. Puri noted that Pakistani representatives had themselves described Jaish-e-Muhammed as a defunct organization only a few months ago.
He also questioned how Pakistan could claim not to know Azhar’s whereabouts when media reports had managed to obtain his comments on Operation Sindoor. If the media can reach Masood Azhar and get confirmation from him about the success of Operation Sindoor, surely the Pakistani state knows his whereabouts, Puri said.
India recalls 9/11, 26/11 and Pahalgam
India also used the UN forum to recall major terror attacks whose victims, it said, are still waiting for justice. “The world has not forgotten 9/11 and where its perpetrators, including Osama bin Laden, were caught. The world has not forgotten 26/11. The world has not forgotten Pahalgam,” Puri said.
He particularly highlighted the religious targeting of victims during the Pahalgam attack, saying the victims were questioned about their religion before being targeted.
“The victims in Pahalgam were not asked about their political orientation, they were asked about their religion,” Puri said.
India rejects Pakistan’s Operation Sindoor narrative
Puri also criticized Pakistan’s repeated claims about the outcome of Operation Sindoor, accusing Islamabad of focusing on its military narrative instead of addressing terrorism. “If bombed-out airfields and cratered runways look like victory to Pakistan, they are, of course, welcome to enjoy it,” he said.
Puri said Pakistan’s repeated interventions at international forums would not change the need for states to act against terrorist groups and those who support them.
“The world has seen the script play earlier, and we are clear-eyed that this time also it is going to be no different,” he said.