India strongly rebuked Pakistan at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debate on Tuesday, with its Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, branding the neighbouring country as a “serial borrower from the IMF” and “steeped in fanaticism and terrorism.”
The UNSC session, chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, was convened to discuss “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.” However, Dar used the opportunity to raise the issues of Jammu & Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the Indian envoy.
Harish emphasised that there must be a “serious cost” for states that promote cross-border terrorism, pointing to Pakistan’s record of supporting proxy terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba. He specifically cited the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, claimed by The Resistance Front, a known front for LeT.
“There are some fundamental principles which need to be universally respected. One of them is zero tolerance for terrorism,” Harish stated, underscoring that the Indian subcontinent presents a stark contrast. “On the one hand, there is India – a mature democracy, a surging economy, and a pluralistic society. At the other extreme is Pakistan – steeped in fanaticism and terrorism, and a serial borrower from the IMF,” he said.
Responding to Pakistan’s attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue, Harish reiterated that India’s actions remain “measured and non-escalatory” and that a cessation of military activities was undertaken only after Islamabad requested it.
He also pointed to the changing nature of conflict in recent years, noting the rise of non-state actors backed by state sponsors who exploit digital technologies for funding, recruitment, and radicalisation.
Acting US Representative Dorothy Shea also addressed the session, highlighting recent American diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in global hotspots, including between India and Pakistan.
Separately, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his claim that he personally stopped a major conflict between India and Pakistan, saying that five jets were shot down during the exchange and that the region was on the brink of nuclear war.
“They’re both powerful nuclear nations and that would have happened. I stopped it,” Trump said at a White House event, adding that he used trade pressure to calm the situation.
Pakistan currently holds a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the 2025–26 term. Following the Pahalgam attack, UNSC members had unanimously called for holding the perpetrators and sponsors of the act accountable.
