'Epicentre of global terror': Jaishankar flags Pakistan as ‘that one country’ at UNGA
Foreign minister S Jaishankar flagged Pakistan as “that one country” and India's neighbour which is the “epicentre of global terror”, in his speech at the UNGA
Foreign minister S Jaishankar flagged Pakistan as “that one country” to which major terror attacks can be traced, calling India's neighbour an “epicentre of global terror”, in his speech at the annual United National General Assembly (UNGA) meet in New York on Saturday, September 27.
Jaishankar did not expressly name Pakistan, but the reference was apparent. He described terror as something that "synthesises bigotry, violence, intolerance and fear". “While asserting our rights, we must also firmly face up to threats. Countering terrorism is a particular priority,” Jaishankar said, speaking for about 15 minutes after 11 pm IST.
“India has confronted this challenge since Independence,” he noted, “having a neighbour that is an epicentre of global terrorism.”
Doubling down, he said, “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.”
He cited the Pahalgam attack in April 2025, in which over two dozen tourists were killed, as the “the most recent example of cross-border barbarism”.
“India exercised its right to defend its people against terrorism, and brought its perpetrators to justice,” he added, in a reference to Operation Sindoor.
He termed terror as a shared threat to the world, and said there needs to be greater cooperation against it “when nations openly declare it as state policy”.
This came just hours after Petal Gahlot, India's diplomatic representative at the UN, slammed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's for "glorifying terrorism".
In his speech at the UNGA, Sharif had claimed that Pakistan “won the war” — a reference to India's military action after the Pahalgam terror attack.
In response, India's Petal Gahlot reiterated that it was Pakistan's military which "pleaded with us directly for a cessation to the fighting". She added that pictures of the damage caused to Pakistan in Op Sindoor were available: “If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangars look like victory, as the PM (Sharif) claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it.”
Jaishankar in his speech later said there are two significant conflicts underway in the world, “one in Ukraine and the other in Middle East/West Asia” — referring to Gaza — “and innumerable other hotspots don't even make the news”.
