‘Absurd theatrics’: India hits back at Sharif at UN, says Pakistan ‘pleaded’ for ceasefire during Op Sindoor
NEW DELHI, SEP 28 : India dismissed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) as “absurd theatrics”, recalling that Islamabad had “pleaded” for a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor and reiterating that no third party has a role in disputes between the two countries.
The response came from First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot on Friday after Sharif, in his address to the General Debate of the 80th session of the UNGA, credited US President Donald Trump with averting a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
“This Assembly witnessed absurd theatrics in the morning from the Prime Minister of Pakistan, who once again glorified terrorism that is so central to their foreign policy,” Gahlot said, delivering India’s Right of Reply.
Reaffirming India’s longstanding position, Gahlot stressed that all outstanding issues with Pakistan must be resolved bilaterally, leaving “no room for any third party.”
“India and Pakistan have long agreed that any outstanding issue between them will be addressed bilaterally. There is no room for any third party in that regard. This is our longstanding national position,” she said.
She accused Islamabad of shielding terrorists and peddling “ludicrous narratives” to obscure its role as a hub of terrorism.
Gahlot also rejected Sharif’s account of the May conflict, noting that Pakistan’s threats ended only after Indian forces struck multiple Pakistani airbases on 10 May.
“The Prime Minister of Pakistan also advanced a bizarre account of the recent conflict with India. The record on this matter is clear. Till 9 May, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India. But on 10 May, 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. The pictures of that damage are, of course, publicly accessible. If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangers look like victory, as the Prime Minister claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it,” she said.
First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot delivers right of reply at the UN General Assembly, Sept. 27, 2025.
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The Indian envoy further pointed to Pakistan’s actions at the UN Security Council on April 25, when it blocked efforts to hold ‘The Resistance Front’ – a Pakistan-backed militant group – responsible for the April 22 massacre of 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
“This Assembly witnessed absurd theatrics in the morning from the Prime Minister of Pakistan, who once again glorified terrorism that is so central to their foreign policy. However, no degree of drama and no level of lies can conceal the facts. This is the very same Pakistan which, at the UN Security Council on April 25, 2025, shielded ‘The Resistance Front’, a Pakistani-sponsored terror outfit, from the responsibility of carrying out the barbaric massacre of tourists in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” she stated.
Highlighting Pakistan’s history of duplicity, Gahlot recalled its decade-long sheltering of Osama bin Laden while presenting itself as a partner in the global war on terror. She added that Pakistani ministers had acknowledged running militant camps for decades.
She also accused senior Pakistani military and civilian officials of glorifying militants and paying homage to “notorious terrorists” killed during Indian strikes on Bahawalpur and Muridke in Operation Sindoor.
“A country long steeped in the tradition of deploying and exporting terrorism has no shame in advancing the most ludicrous narratives to that end. Let us recall that it sheltered Osama bin Laden for a decade, even while pretending to partner in the war against terrorism. Its Ministers have just recently acknowledged that they have been operating terrorist camps for decades. It should come as no surprise that once again, this duplicity continues, this time at the level of its Prime Minister,” she said.
“A picture speaks a thousand words and we saw many pictures of terrorists slain in Bahawalpur and Muridke terror complexes by Indian forces during Operation Sindoor. When senior Pakistani military and civilian officials publicly glorify and pay homage to such notorious terrorists, can there be any doubt about the proclivities of this regime?” she added.
India’s response underscored its zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, with Gahlot saying: “The truth is that as in the past, Pakistan is responsible for a terrorist attack on innocent civilians in India. We have exercised the right to defend our people against such actions and have brought the organisers and perpetrators to justice.”
She demanded Pakistan shut down all militant camps and hand over wanted terrorists, warning that India would hold both militants and their sponsors accountable without yielding to “nuclear blackmail.”
First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot delivers right of reply at the UN General Assembly, Sept. 27, 2025.
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Gahlot also questioned the sincerity of Sharif’s call for peace, criticising Pakistan’s “hate, bigotry, and intolerance” and urging its leadership to reflect on its own political discourse.
“The truth is that, as in the past, Pakistan is responsible for a terrorist attack on innocent civilians in India. We have exercised the right to defend our people against such actions and have brought the organisers and perpetrators to justice. The Pakistani Prime Minister has spoken about wanting peace with India. If he is indeed sincere, the pathway is clear. Pakistan must immediately shut down all terrorist camps and hand over to us terrorists wanted in India. It is also ironic that a country which wallows in hate, bigotry and intolerance should preach to this Assembly on matters of faith. The political and public discourse of Pakistan reflects its true nature. Clearly, a look by them at the mirror is long overdue,” she said.
In his address, Sharif said Pakistan was ready for a “composite, comprehensive and result-oriented” dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, while criticising New Delhi over the situation in Kashmir.
Sharif also praised Trump, saying his “efforts for peace helped avert a… war in South Asia”.
“In recognition of President Trump’s wonderful and outstanding contribution to promote peace in our part of the world, Pakistan nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the least we could do… I think he truly is a man of peace,” he said.
India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May, targeting militant infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the 22 April Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
New Delhi has consistently maintained that the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries.
-AFP
