External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a sharp response to a Pakistani journalist at the United Nations after being questioned over an allegation that India sponsors terrorism in Pakistan. The exchange, held on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, came amid continued tensions between the two neighbours over cross-border terrorism and the legacy of the April 2025 Pahalgam attack.
Jaishankar was addressing reporters alongside Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti when the journalist asked: “When will your government stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan?” The Indian minister immediately responded: “A terrorist country is asking me that question. Come on.”
Following the brief exchange, Jaishankar and other delegates left the room while the journalist continued speaking. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, also intervened, telling the journalist that he had heard Jaishankar’s response “loud and clear”.
The confrontation came against the backdrop of longstanding and sharply opposing Indian and Pakistani positions on terrorism. India has repeatedly accused Pakistan-based militant groups of carrying out attacks on Indian soil, while Pakistan has rejected such allegations.
The Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025, remains a major point of contention between the two countries. The attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley killed 26 people, including 25 Indians and one Nepali national, and injured several others. Reuters reported at the time that Indian authorities believed the attackers were linked to Pakistan-based militants, while Pakistan denied the allegation.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri subsequently said that Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba were responsible for the attack. The government maintained that the assault was intended to undermine the return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
The attack was followed by India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025. According to the Indian government, the operation targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pahalgam episode has since remained central to India’s diplomatic messaging on terrorism. New Delhi has argued internationally that terrorism originating from across its borders requires a firm response, while Islamabad has consistently disputed India’s accusations and raised counter-allegations.
Jaishankar’s latest exchange at the UN therefore reflects the continuing intensity of the India-Pakistan diplomatic confrontation. Coming during a major international gathering, the brief verbal clash once again brought the two countries’ sharply different narratives on terrorism into the global spotlight.
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