UNITED NATIONS, Jan 27: At the United Nations, India strongly criticized Pakistan for continuing to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy, responding sharply to Islamabad’s account of Operation Sindoor.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, addressed remarks by Pakistan’s Ambassador, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, made during the Security Council debate on “Reaffirming International Rule of Law: Pathways to Reinvigorating Peace, Justice, and Multilateralism.” Ahmad had referred to Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Indus Waters Treaty.
Harish accused Pakistan, an elected Security Council member, of pursuing a single-point agenda aimed at harming India and its citizens. He rejected Islamabad’s attempt to normalize terrorism, stating, “It is not normal to tolerate Pakistan’s continued use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy.”
The Indian envoy described Pakistan’s account of Operation Sindoor, carried out in May last year in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, as “false and self-serving.” He emphasized that India acted responsibly, targeting terror infrastructure and those responsible for the attack.
Referring to a previous Security Council statement condemning the Pahalgam attack, Harish noted that the international community had called for accountability for the perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of the attack. India’s measures, he said, were proportionate and focused on dismantling terrorist networks.
Harish also noted that, despite threats from Pakistan until May 9, the Pakistani military sought a cessation of hostilities on May 10. Images of damaged Pakistani airbases, including destroyed runways and hangars, are publicly available.
On Jammu and Kashmir, Harish reaffirmed that the region is an integral part of India and dismissed Pakistan’s interference. Regarding the Indus Waters Treaty, he said India entered the agreement in good faith but accused Pakistan of violating its spirit through wars and terror attacks. Following the Pahalgam attack, India announced it would hold the Treaty in abeyance until Pakistan ends its support for terrorism.
Finally, Harish suggested Pakistan review its own rule of law, pointing to the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which grants lifetime immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces.
