India on Wednesday accused Pakistan of using “narrative building” to obscure its alleged support for terrorism, telling the UN General Assembly that Islamabad’s recent announcement of a higher reward for information on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar did not address questions over his whereabouts.
India exercised its Right of Reply during proceedings of the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, which deals with legal affairs, responding to remarks by Pakistan’s representative on measures to eliminate international terrorism.
“Pakistan speaks of combating terrorism while seeking to obscure the very question that this committee must confront: What happens when terrorists are financed, facilitated, trained, sheltered, or supported from the territory of a state?” First Secretary in India’s UN mission Raghoo Puri said.
Puri said India has consistently maintained that terrorism cannot be defeated through declarations alone and requires action against perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors.
He also criticised Pakistan's recent decision to increase the reward for information leading to the arrest of Masood Azhar, the UN-listed chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
“Pakistan glosses over its state support for terrorism by announcing enhanced rewards for apprehending UN-listed head of Jaish-e-Mohammed, terrorist and mastermind of several attacks against my country,” Puri said.
He questioned Islamabad's claim that Azhar is hiding in Afghanistan, saying that media reports had previously obtained comments from him about Operation Sindoor.
“When the media can reach Azhar and get confirmation from him about the success of Operation Sindoor, surely the Pakistani state knows his whereabouts,” Puri said.
Pakistan has maintained that Azhar fled to Afghanistan, a claim that has been rejected by Afghanistan's Taliban authorities. Islamabad's latest announcement of a reward for information on the JeM chief came as Pakistan faces continued international scrutiny over counter-terrorism financing.
Puri also pointed to what he described as contradictions within Pakistan's own political leadership. Referring to recent remarks by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz about the threat posed by neighbouring provinces, he said Pakistan could not simultaneously portray itself as a victim of terrorism while ignoring militant groups operating from its territory.
“You cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. Reality never works like that,” he said.
Puri recalled previous attacks, including the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US, the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, saying the international community had not forgotten them.
“The world has not forgotten 9/11 and where its perpetrators, including Osama bin Laden, were caught. The world has not forgotten 26/11. The world has not forgotten Pahalgam,” he said.
He also rejected Pakistan's portrayal of the outcome of India's Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2025 following the Pahalgam attack.
“If bombed-out airfields and cratered runways look like victory to Pakistan, they are of course welcome to enjoy it,” Puri said, while accusing Islamabad of continuing to promote misinformation and disinformation.
Puri further criticised Pakistan's position on religious hatred, saying the victims of the Pahalgam attack had been targeted based on their religion.
“The victims in Pahalgam were not asked about their political orientation, they were asked about their religion,” he said.
He added that allowing terrorist groups to operate with political or state support undermined international commitments and denied victims justice.
In a second Right of Reply, Puri accused Pakistan of what he called a “circular economy” of words and narratives.
“If this much effort had actually been made in countering terrorism rather than narrative building, misinformation, and disinformation, the world would have been a better place,” he said.
Puri also referred to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), saying the international community remained focused on Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism financing. The FATF is scheduled to hold its next plenary meeting in Paris from October 26 to 30.
India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of providing support and safe haven to terrorist groups, allegations Islamabad has rejected. Pakistan, in turn, has accused India of supporting militant activity against it.
At the UN, Puri said the focus should remain on assigning responsibility and ensuring accountability for terrorism.
“Any regime against terrorism to be effective must do two things: assign responsibility and ensure accountability,” he said. “India will defend its people, and continued terrorism against India will have consequences.”
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)