United Nations, 27 Sept

India has confronted the challenge of terrorism since its independence, with a neighbour that is an “epicentre of global terrorism”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, in a sharp attack on Pakistan.

In his address to the General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar delivered a strong message against terrorism, warning that those who condone nations that sponsor terror will find that it comes back to "bite them".

He said that while asserting our rights, we must also firmly face up to threats, and added that countering terrorism is a particular priority because it "synthesises bigotry, violence, intolerance and fear".

Jaishankar, who began his address to world leaders from the UNGA podium with the salutation “Namaskar from the people of Bharat,” said, "India has confronted this challenge since independence, having a neighbour that is an epicentre of global terrorism."

While Jaishankar did not name Pakistan, reference to the country was loud and clear when he said that "for decades now, major international terrorist attacks are traced back to that one country."

He added that the UN’s designated lists of terrorists are replete with the country's nationals.

“The most recent example of cross-border barbarism was the murder of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in April this year. India exercised its right to defend its people against terrorism and brought its organisers and perpetrators to justice,” he said.

India had launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians and for which The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility.

On Friday, exercising its Right of Reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address to the UNGA, India said, “Till May 9, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India. But on May 10, its military pleaded with us directly for a cessation to the fighting. The intervening event was the destruction caused to multiple Pakistani airbases by Indian forces.”

In his address, Jaishankar warned that those who condone nations that sponsor terror will find that it "comes back to bite them".

Underlining that terrorism is a shared threat, he called for deeper international cooperation.

“When nations openly declare terrorism as state policy, when terror hubs operate on an industrial scale, when terrorists are publicly glorified, then such actions must be unequivocally condemned," he said.

"The financing of terrorism must be choked, even as prominent terrorists are sanctioned. Relentless pressure must be applied on the entire terrorism eco-system,” he added.

The EAM told world leaders from the UNGA podium that "Bharat approaches the contemporary world, guided by three key concepts of ‘Atmanirbharta' or self-reliance, ‘Atmaraksha' or securing oneself, and ‘Atmavishwas' or self-confidence."

“We remain determined to protect our people and secure their interests, at home and abroad. That means zero-tolerance for terrorism, robust defence of our borders, forging partnerships beyond and assisting our community abroad,” he said.