New York: India delivered a sharp rebuke to Pakistan at the United Nations, accusing it of glorifying cross-border terrorism under the guise of a “freedom struggle” and attempting to legitimise violent extremism as a form of resistance.
The response came after Muhammad Jawad Ajmal, Counsellor at Pakistan’s UN Mission, claimed during an interactive dialogue with UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul that countries should “distinguish between terrorism and the legitimate right of people to resist foreign occupation.”
India’s First Secretary at the UN, Raghoo Puri, hit back strongly, labelling Pakistan’s remarks as “doublespeak and hypocrisy” by a country that remains the epicenter of global terrorism.
“Terrorism is among the gravest of offences that fundamentally violates the core of humanity. It represents the worst of bigotry, violence, intolerance, and fear, and terrorists are the worst of the worst in humankind,” Puri said.
He added that Pakistan’s duplicity on terrorism “stands exposed,” reminding the global community that Islamabad has well-established links to multiple terror attacks targeting civilians across the world.
Pakistan’s Misuse of International Law
During the discussion, Ajmal attempted to misrepresent international law, arguing that global conventions distinguish terrorism from “freedom struggles” and cited UN General Assembly resolution 46/51 to justify Pakistan’s stance.
However, India pointed out that Ajmal’s interpretation was misleading. The 1994 UN Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism clearly states that “criminal acts intended to provoke a state of terror in the general public for political purposes are unjustifiable under any circumstances.”
Similarly, the 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and UN Security Council resolutions reaffirm that no political, religious, or ideological justification can legitimise acts of terror.
Even the 1991 resolution 46/51, cited by Pakistan, explicitly condemns all acts of terrorism as “criminal and unjustifiable,” calling on all nations to refrain from participating in or supporting terrorist activities.
India Calls Out Pakistan as Human Rights Violator
Puri further countered Pakistan’s claims that India’s counterterrorism efforts violate human rights, asserting that “terrorism is the gravest threat to humanity” and that its “abettor and aider, like Pakistan, remains the worst violator of human rights.”
He also criticised Islamabad for trying to shield its actions under the guise of religion, dismissing Ajmal’s accusation that the UN’s counterterrorism framework unfairly targets a particular faith.
“Pakistan’s futile attempts to take cover of Islamophobia to hide its atrocities will not work,” Puri said.
19-Year Deadlock on Global Terrorism Convention
India also highlighted how Pakistan has obstructed negotiations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism for nearly two decades by insisting on exemptions for groups it labels as “freedom fighters.”
New Delhi reiterated that there can be no justification for terrorism, no matter the cause or ideology invoked, and urged the international community to hold state sponsors of terrorism accountable.
With its latest statement, India once again laid bare what it called Pakistan’s long-standing duplicity preaching human rights at global forums while harbouring and financing terror networks that threaten regional and global peace.
