India issues stern warning to Pakistan in UN, says cross-border terrorism will ‘inevitably invite consequences’

In a sharp rebuttal at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), India criticised Pakistan, stating that its involvement in global terrorism is well-documented and warning that cross-border terrorism against India will “inevitably invite consequences.”

India’s Right of Reply came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised the Kashmir issue during his address at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly’s General Debate. Bhavika Mangalanandan, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, delivered the response, calling Pakistan a country run by the military with a “global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crime” that dared to attack the world’s largest democracy.

Mangalanandan emphasized that Pakistan has long used cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours, citing the 2001 attack on India’s Parliament and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, both carried out by Pakistan-based terror groups. She called out Pakistan’s hypocrisy, stating, “For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst.”

Sharif, in his speech, called for India to reverse the abrogation of Article 370 and engage in dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, while also accusing India of rejecting Pakistan’s proposals for a “Strategic Restraint Regime.”

India firmly rejected the notion of negotiations with a state supporting terrorism, with Mangalanandan reminding the UN of Pakistan’s history, including hosting Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. “Pakistan’s fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents worldwide,” she said, stressing that Islamabad’s policies have long been a breeding ground for terrorism.

Mangalanandan also highlighted the irony of Pakistan, with its history of rigged elections and persecution of minorities, lecturing others on democracy and human rights. “The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has consistently used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an integral part of India,” she added.

Referring to Pakistan’s 1971 genocide and its ongoing persecution of minorities, she concluded by saying, “The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is.”

A Pakistani diplomat later responded, dismissing India’s claims as “baseless and misleading,” citing the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir calling for a plebiscite.

(With PTI inputs)