At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, India once again used its platform to accuse Pakistan of supporting terrorism.

Without naming the country directly, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar referred to Pakistan as the “epicentre of global terrorism,” sparking another diplomatic war of words between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

India raises Pahalgam incident at UNGA

Addressing the 193-member Assembly, Jaishankar cited the Pahalgam incident of April, in which innocent tourists were killed. He called it the “most recent example of cross-border barbarism.”

Pakistan had strongly condemned the attack and even proposed a credible, impartial, and independent investigation, an offer India ignored. Instead, Jaishankar insisted that India “exercised its right to defend its people against terrorism and brought its organizers and perpetrators to justice”, without offering further details. “For decades now, major international terrorist attacks are traced back to that one country — UN’s designated lists of terrorists are replete with its nationals."

India’s terrorism allegations

The Indian minister said that for decades, major global terrorist attacks have been traced back to Pakistan, claiming that UN-designated terrorist lists include many of its nationals.

“When nations openly declare terrorism as state policy, when terror hubs operate on an industrial scale, when terrorists are publicly glorified, then such actions must be unequivocally condemned,” Jaishankar told the Assembly.

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He added that financing terrorism must be stopped, even as sanctioned terrorists are sanctioned, and “those who condone nations that sponsor terror will find that it comes back to bite them.”

Pakistan’s response and sacrifices

Pakistan has consistently rejected such allegations, pointing to its own enormous sacrifices in fighting terrorism. Over the years, the country has lost more than 70,000 lives and suffered billions of dollars in economic and infrastructure losses in its battle against extremist violence.

Islamabad maintains that it is recognized globally as a key partner in counterterrorism efforts and continues to stress that it has been a victim of terrorism, not a perpetrator.

Pakistan accuses India of state-sponsored terror

In response to India’s repeated allegations, Pakistan has accused New Delhi of engaging in state-sponsored terrorism at home and abroad.

Islamabad points to Indian links with militant proxies such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and its Majeed Brigade, claiming that these groups have carried out deadly attacks in Pakistan.

Also Read: Pakistan, China, Iran, Russia call for stronger action on terrorism in Afghanistan

According to Pakistan, Indian-backed terrorism has turned places of worship, schools, and workplaces into sites of carnage, killing thousands of innocent civilians and undermining regional stability.

Diplomatic clash continues

The fiery exchanges at the UN highlight the deep mistrust between India and Pakistan, with both sides trading accusations of terrorism and destabilization.

While India portrays Pakistan as the source of regional insecurity, Islamabad insists New Delhi is using propaganda to deflect from its own actions and human rights abuses in Kashmir and beyond.

With neither side backing down, the UN stage once again became a battleground for their long-standing rivalry.