New York, October 7, 2026: India has strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations (UN) for its alleged support for terrorism, accusing Islamabad of attempting to conceal its links with terror groups while announcing rewards for the capture of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. New Delhi reminded Pakistan that the world has not forgotten the 9/11, 26/11 and Pahalgam terror attacks.
India made the remarks on Wednesday while exercising its Right of Reply to Pakistan’s statement during a meeting of the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly on measures to eliminate international terrorism.
India Questions Pakistan’s Claims
Raghoo Puri, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, questioned Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism, accusing it of providing support and shelter to terrorist organisations.
“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?” Puri said.
He stressed that terrorism cannot be eliminated through declarations alone and requires concrete action against perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors.
“For years, Pakistan has presented itself as a frontline state in combating terrorism and as a victim while masking the fact that the Frankensteins the Pakistani state has created and lost control over have moved from wreaking havoc in neighbouring countries to doing the same in Pakistan,” he said.
Puri also accused Islamabad of attempting to conceal its support for terrorism by announcing increased rewards for the arrest of Azhar.
He said Pakistan “glosses over its state support for terrorism by announcing enhanced rewards for apprehending UN-listed head of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist and mastermind of several attacks against my country, Masood Azhar.”
Questions Over Azhar Reward
Puri questioned Islamabad’s claims about Azhar’s whereabouts, pointing to previous statements by Pakistani representatives describing JeM as a defunct organisation.
“Yet, we also remember that just a few months ago, Pakistani representatives used this forum to call the Jaish-e-Mohammed a defunct organisation. The world has seen the script play earlier, and we are clear-eyed that this time also it is going to be no different,” he said.
Referring to media reports in which Azhar reportedly confirmed the success of Operation Sindoor, Puri remarked that “surely the Pakistani state knows his whereabouts”.
India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, most of them tourists.
The attack was carried out by The Resistance Front, described as a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Earlier in October, India dismissed Pakistan’s announcement of a seven-million-rupee reward for information leading to Azhar’s capture as “gimmicks” and demanded “concrete action” against terrorism.
Pakistan has maintained that Azhar fled to Afghanistan, while India has long accused Islamabad of sheltering him. Afghanistan’s Taliban government has rejected Pakistan’s claims, with a senior Afghan Foreign Ministry official asserting that Azhar is not in the country.
The announcement comes as Pakistan faces scrutiny from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is expected to review its counterterrorism efforts at an upcoming plenary.
Pakistan remained on the FATF grey list from 2018 to 2022 over deficiencies in its anti-money laundering framework and measures to combat terror financing.
‘World Has Not Forgotten 9/11’
Puri recalled remarks by Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, about security threats originating within the country.
“The unfortunate thing is that the threat [Punjab] faces comes less from my neighbouring countries and more from my neighbouring provinces,” she had said.
Responding to Pakistan’s position, Puri remarked, “You cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. Reality never works like that.”
“When terrorist groups are allowed to operate under state political power, international commitments become meaningless and when perpetrators are provided safe havens, the victims of terrorism are denied justice,” he said.
“The world has not forgotten 9/11 and where its perpetrators, including Osama bin Laden, were caught. The world has not forgotten 26/11. The world has not forgotten Pahalgam,” Puri said, adding that the list of terror attacks remained painfully long.
Referring to the Pahalgam killings, he accused Pakistan of enabling religious hatred through cross-border terrorism.
“The victims in Pahalgam were not asked about their political orientation, they were asked about their religion. It is therefore deeply ironic that Pakistan speaks of combating religious hatred while allowing the conditions that enable it to persist and thrive, especially by fomenting cross-border terrorism,” he said.
India Warns Of Consequences
Puri also criticised Pakistan’s claims surrounding Operation Sindoor and accused Islamabad of spreading misinformation about the military confrontation.
“Pakistan continues with its narrative building, misinformation, and disinformation. If bombed-out airfields and cratered runways look like victory to Pakistan, they are of course welcome to enjoy it,” Puri said.
He emphasised the need for accountability in combating terrorism.
“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,” he added.
In a subsequent Right of Reply, Puri rejected what he described as Pakistan’s “circular economy” of words and narratives.
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“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. But nothing more can be expected from a Form 47 government,” he said.
The reference to a “Form 47 government” alluded to allegations of electoral rigging and manipulation during Pakistan’s 2024 general elections.
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