India Slams Pakistan's Double Standards on Terrorism at UN General Assembly Session

India Takes a Stand Against Pakistan's doublespeak on Terrorism at the UN

In a scathing rebuke, India has called out Pakistan for its duplicitous stance on terrorism at the United Nations, underscoring the need for concrete action against terror perpetrators rather than mere declarations. The Indian delegation, led by First Secretary Raghoo Puri, exercised its Right of Reply in response to Pakistan's statement in the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism.

India's stance comes as Pakistan is under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to crack down on terror groups and their leadership. The Paris-based global watchdog is set to review Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts at its upcoming plenary. Islamabad has been placed under the FATF grey list between 2018 and 2022 for its systemic deficiencies in anti-money laundering and its failure to counter-terror financing.

Puri's remarks highlighted the stark contrast between Pakistan's rhetoric on combating terrorism and its actual actions. "Pakistan speaks of combating terrorism while seeking to obscure the very question that this committee must confront: What happens when terrorists are financed, facilitated, trained, sheltered, or supported from the territory of a state?" he asked.

India has been consistent in its stance that terrorism cannot be defeated by declarations alone and requires concrete action against its perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors. Puri pointed out that Pakistan has been creating and losing control over terrorist groups, which have wreaked havoc in neighbouring countries and even within Pakistan itself.

The Indian delegation also called out Pakistan's doublespeak on terrorism, particularly in the context of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. Pakistan has announced enhanced rewards for apprehending Azhar, who is listed as a UN-designated terrorist and mastermind of several attacks against India. However, Puri noted that the world is aware of Pakistan's financial support to terrorism and that Islamabad has been caught in a cycle of doublespeak on the issue.

Puri recalled the recent statement by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who had said that the threat faced by Punjab comes less from neighbouring countries and more from neighbouring provinces. Exposing this "dark secret," Puri said that Pakistan cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. Reality never works like that.

The Indian delegation also highlighted the need for accountability and responsibility in combating terrorism. Puri said that any regime against terrorism to be effective must do two things: assign responsibility and ensure accountability. India will defend its people, and continued terrorism against India will have consequences.

In another Right of Reply, Puri rejected Pakistan's "circular economy" of words and narratives. "If this much effort had actually been made in countering terrorism rather than narrative building, misinformation, and disinformation, the world would have been a better place," he said.

The Indian delegation's stance at the UN comes as the world marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the 14th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Puri said that the world has not forgotten these attacks and the victims who were killed in them. He also mentioned the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed in a terror attack perpetrated by a proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Key Takeaways

• India has called out Pakistan for its duplicitous stance on terrorism at the UN, highlighting the need for concrete action against terror perpetrators.
• Pakistan is under pressure from the FATF to crack down on terror groups and their leadership.
• India has been consistent in its stance that terrorism cannot be defeated by declarations alone and requires concrete action against its perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors.
• Pakistan has been caught in a cycle of doublespeak on the issue of terrorism, particularly in the context of the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.
• India will defend its people, and continued terrorism against India will have consequences.