Pakistan accused India of stooping to “utterly shameful” tactics at the United Nations after New Delhi called it “Terroristan,” escalating already fraught tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The war of words unfolded Saturday during the fifth day of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, when Indian representative Rentala Srinivas accused Pakistan of promoting terrorism and declared, “No arguments or untruths can ever whitewash the crimes of Terroristan.”
Pakistan’s Second Secretary Muhammad Rashid fired back, calling the remarks petty and undignified. “Resorting to mockery of a sovereign nation-state’s name is not just undignified, it is also a deliberate attempt to malign and insult an entire people,” he told the 193-member Assembly.
“It is utterly shameful that India stoops so low as to distort the very name of a country, a member of the United Nations,” Rashid said. He argued India’s rhetoric reflected frustration and exposed its “pettiness on the world stage.”
The Pakistani diplomat said India itself had been implicated in “supporting and sponsoring terrorism beyond its borders,” pointing to alleged networks run by Indian intelligence agencies. He accused New Delhi of financing and directing groups engaged in sabotage and targeted killings abroad.
“Undermining regional stability and violating international law is a habit for India,” Rashid added, calling its counterterrorism claims duplicitous.
The clash came a day after Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, without naming Pakistan, described India’s neighbor as “the epicenter of global terrorism.”
His statement followed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s speech on Friday, in which he offered talks but also accused India of politicizing a deadly April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the assault, a charge Islamabad denied.
The incident sparked a four-day military conflict that left more than 70 people dead on both sides before a May 10 ceasefire.
Rashid rejected what he called Jaishankar’s “bizarre and untenable claims” about the Pahalgam attack, saying Pakistan condemned the violence and even offered an independent investigation. “No surprise, that till this day, no evidence related to that incident has been shared,” he said.
The Pakistani diplomat said India carried out “blatant aggression” between May 7–10, which killed 54 civilians, including 15 children and 13 women. He said Pakistan exercised its right to self-defense under the UN Charter, targeting only military sites and downing several aircraft.
Rashid accused India of “state terrorism” in Indian-administered Kashmir, citing extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, staged encounters and collective punishment. He also invoked the case of Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who Pakistan says was caught spying.
He insisted Pakistan had sacrificed more than 90,000 lives fighting terrorism, with its efforts recognized globally. “We are one of the strongest pillars in leading global efforts for combating terrorism as also highlighted by my Prime Minister at this forum,” he said.
Calling India a “regional bully,” Rashid said New Delhi’s “unlawful and reckless behavior” must not be ignored by the international community.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace, saying South Asia’s 1.9 billion people deserved prosperity and stability. “True progress requires sincerity, mutual respect, dialogue and diplomacy,” Rashid said. “Principles Pakistan has upheld, and which India must finally choose to embrace, if it truly seeks peace.”
The presiding officer closed the session after Rashid’s sharp retort drew no further reply from Srinivas.
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