India Issues ‘Inevitable Consequences’ Warning Following Shehbaz Sharif’s UN Speech

New Delhi: India issued a strong warning to Pakistan today during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address, in which he brought up the Jammu and Kashmir issue. Pakistan’s continued encouragement of cross-border terrorism, India vehemently declared, will “inevitably invite consequences.

Bhavika Mangalanandan, India’s First Secretary to the UN, delivered a sharp rebuttal, accusing Pakistan of complicity in global terrorism and referencing its long-standing use of cross-border terrorism as a state policy. Her statement was a direct response to Sharif’s calls for India to reverse its 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as his requests for dialogue between the two nations.

Today morning, this Assembly sadly saw a farce. “The world’s largest democracy has been attacked by a military-run nation that is notorious for its involvement in terrorism, drug trafficking, and transnational crime,” stated Ms. Mangalanandan. “The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is.

The First Secretary characterized Mr. Sharif’s address as audacious, especially considering Pakistan’s global “reputation for terrorism,” narcotics trafficking, and transnational crime. “A military-run nation, known internationally for its involvement in terrorism, has had the audacity to criticize the world’s largest democracy,” she stated, alluding to attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Ms. Mangalanandan remarked that Pakistan’s “fingerprints” can be found on numerous terrorist incidents around the globe. “It is hardly surprising that its prime minister would say such things in this august hall. We must nevertheless stress how offensive his remarks are to all of us.

We are aware that Pakistan will attempt to counter the truth with further lies. Repetition will change nothing. Our position is clear and needs no restatement,” she asserted.

India reiterated that any discussions regarding a “Strategic Restraint Regime” with Pakistan are irrelevant unless terrorism is completely eliminated. Ms. Mangalanandan stated, “There can be no agreement with terrorism.” She also highlighted Pakistan’s past, including its harboring of Osama bin Laden and its ties to various terrorist incidents around the world.

In his address, Mr. Sharif connected the Kashmir issue to regional stability and claimed that India’s military expansion was aimed at Pakistan. However, Ms. Mangalanandan countered by pointing out Pakistan’s history of interfering in Jammu and Kashmir through terrorism, aimed at disrupting the democratic process in the region.

India’s response also touched on Pakistan’s internal issues. Ms. Mangalanandan accused Pakistan of human rights violations, referencing the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh and its treatment of minorities. She deemed it “ridiculous” for Pakistan to lecture others about intolerance, given its own track record.

In response, Pakistan issued a Right of Reply, dismissing India’s assertions as “baseless and misleading,” and reaffirmed its call for a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.