In a powerful address at the United Nations, India has openly branded Pakistan a “rogue state,” spotlighting an extraordinary admission by Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif regarding his country’s long-standing support for terrorist groups. This diplomatic salvo comes in the immediate aftermath of the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and has been described as the deadliest assault on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Yojna Patel, did not mince words as she referenced Asif’s recent televised interview with Sky News. In that interview, the Pakistani minister acknowledged that Pakistan had “been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades,” referring to the training and funding of terrorist organizations. Patel asserted that this “open confession” merely confirmed what the world already suspected: Pakistan’s role as a state sponsor of terrorism that continues to destabilize the region.
Patel condemned Pakistan’s repeated attempts to use international forums for anti-India propaganda, stating, “The whole world has heard Pakistan’s defence minister admitting and confessing Pakistan’s history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations. This open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye.”
Speaking at the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), Patel emphasized the profound and lasting impact of terrorism on victims and societies. She welcomed the global solidarity shown to India following the Pahalgam attack and called for unwavering international resolve against terrorism in all its forms. India’s strong stance at the UN underscores a growing impatience with what it sees as Pakistan’s duplicity and the international community’s insufficient response. As the world reels from the shocking confession of Pakistan’s own defence minister, India is pushing for coordinated global action, insisting that terrorism must be condemned unequivocally and that victims must remain at the heart of all counter-terror efforts.
With this bold diplomatic move, India is making it clear: the era of turning a blind eye to state-sponsored terrorism is over, and the world must now hold rogue actors accountable.