India has delivered a strong rebuttal to Pakistan’s claims at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), stating that Pakistan’s military had “pleaded” for a cessation of hostilities during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

The operation had been launched by India in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed, an attack claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

According to India’s statement at the UNGA, till May 9 Pakistan was issuing threats of further strikes. However, following extensive Indian attacks on Pakistani terror infrastructure and military installations — including the destruction of multiple Pakistani airbases — the Pakistani military directly requested cessation of hostilities on May 10. India asserted that publicly available images of damaged runways, burnt hangars, and destroyed assets in Pakistan disproved Islamabad’s claims of victory.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking earlier at the UNGA, claimed that his country had repulsed India’s “attacks” and destroyed seven Indian jets. He further credited U.S. President Donald Trump’s intervention for facilitating a ceasefire, while positioning Pakistan as negotiating from a “position of strength.” Sharif also attempted to bring Kashmir back onto the agenda, reiterating Pakistan’s long-standing line of internationalising the issue.

India dismissed Pakistan’s narrative as “absurd theatrics,” describing Islamabad’s attempts to glorify terrorism as central to its foreign policy doctrine. Petal Gahlot, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, emphasised that the cessation of hostilities was not due to U.S. mediation but the result of direct military-to-military talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two countries — and only after Pakistan’s military faced significant losses.

In its response, India underscored Pakistan’s continued sheltering of terrorists tied to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Gahlot referred to viral images of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Abdul Rauf leading prayers in Muridke following Indian strikes on LeT’s headquarters, a ceremony also attended by Pakistan Army personnel. India also criticised Pakistan for publicly glorifying slain terrorists whose bases were targeted during Operation Sindoor in cities such as Bahawalpur and Muridke.

India drew attention to an April 25 Security Council development, noting that Pakistan shielded TRF by ensuring that its name was omitted from the UNSC press statement on the Pahalgam massacre. The Council had condemned the attack and called for accountability, but due to Pakistan’s diplomatic manoeuvring,

TRF’s role was not included in the official record. India used this to demonstrate Islamabad’s deliberate pattern of protecting terror groups while pretending to oppose terrorism at the international stage.

India accused Pakistan of indulging in “exporting terrorism” while simultaneously pushing the most misleading narratives at global forums. References were made to Osama bin Laden’s decade-long shelter in Pakistan and to recent admissions by Pakistani ministers of running terror camps for years. India’s message was clear: there would be no distinction between terrorists and their state sponsors, both of whom would be held accountable.

Reinforcing its longstanding position, India reiterated that it would not bow to nuclear blackmail or threats from Pakistan. Gahlot emphasised India’s vision of zero-tolerance for terrorism, stating that terrorism cannot be practiced under any shield, nor can it be excused by “self-serving narratives” at international institutions. India urged that global attention remain fixed on the responsibility of states that continue to nurture and weaponize terrorist groups.

Responding to Sharif’s call for a “composite, comprehensive and result-oriented” dialogue, India noted that if Pakistan was serious, the way forward was “clear and simple.” Pakistan must shut down all remaining terrorist camps on its soil and hand over individuals wanted for terrorism in India. Until this is done, India asserted, talks or third-party interventions remain meaningless and unnecessary.

India finally took aim at the broader contradictions in Pakistan’s rhetoric, commenting that it was ironic for a country “wallowing in hate, bigotry, and intolerance” to lecture the international community about matters of faith and justice. The Indian delegation closed by underscoring its bilateral approach and rejecting the possibility of third-party mediation in issues between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Based On PTI Report