India tears into Pakistan after Sharif raises Kashmir at UN, credits Trump for 2025 truce

United Nations: India on Friday hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the UN General Assembly, accusing Islamabad of “falsehoods” and “deceit” and warning that continued cross-border terrorism would have consequences. India reiterated its position that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of the country.

India exercised its Right of Reply after Sharif used his UNGA address to credit US President Donald Trump for his “timely intervention” in the 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan and again raised the Kashmir issue.

First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, Petal Gahlot, described Pakistan as a regime “of the army, by the army, and for the army”, saying its political leadership does not reflect where the real power lies.

In his roughly 23-minute address, Sharif had thanked Trump for his “resolute and visionary leadership”, saying his “timely intervention” had saved hundreds of millions of lives in South Asia. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has consistently rejected any suggestion of third-party intervention.

Sharif also said that a “just and fair solution” to the Kashmir issue was necessary to prevent South Asia from reaching the brink of another conflict. US President Donald Trump also shared a video clip of Pakistan PM’s UN speech on Truth Social.

India slams Pak regime
“We heard some hypocritical homilies about democratic rights and human values from a regime whose capital at this very moment is being fortified against its own people,” Gahlot said.

Referring to Pakistan’s 27th Constitutional Amendment, passed in November last year, she said it granted lifelong immunity from prosecution to Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

“We are confident that this Assembly will recognise Pakistan and its policies for what they really are; not what its representative mendaciously projects it to be. Reiterating falsehoods year after year does not make them true,” Gahlot said.

“Pakistan’s terrorism, deceit and duplicity will neither benefit it nor the world,” she added.

“If we must talk about Kashmir, let us turn our attention to the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Ask the people of Rawalakot about the wanton killings, the brutal violence and the denial of basic rights that they have long experienced,” Gahlot said.

Gahlot also targeted Pakistan over what she described as its “longstanding practice” of cross-border terrorism.

She said India had demonstrated last year that “terrorists will have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide”, referring to Operation Sindoor launched on May 7, 2025, against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

“Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised. And continued terrorism by Pakistan will have consequences,” Gahlot said.

She added that such actions would “understandably” call into question arrangements premised on friendship and goodwill.

India also pointed to Pakistan’s record on terrorism and religious intolerance, with Gahlot referring to the presence of al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden near the Pakistan Army’s premier academy in the context of the 9/11 attacks.

She also rejected Pakistan’s criticism of religious intolerance, saying the remarks came from a regime whose legal framework includes blasphemy laws and accusing Pakistan of failing to protect minorities.

Sharif highlights Indus Waters Treaty
Sharif also spoke about the Indus Waters Treaty during his UNGA address. India has placed the treaty in abeyance, saying it will remain so until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border and other forms of terrorism. The move was among the diplomatic and economic measures announced by India following the Pahalgam attack.

Sharif also highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate talks between the US and Iran amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. He said Islamabad had brought Washington and Tehran together and referred to the Islamabad talks and a subsequent memorandum of understanding as steps towards ending the conflict. He repeatedly praised Field Marshal Asim Munir, crediting his “relentless efforts” with creating space for diplomacy.