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Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar referred to Pakistan as a “terrorist state” during a press conference held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
A Pakistani journalist asked Jaishankar when the Indian government would stop allegedly supporting terrorism in Pakistan. In response, Jaishankar said, “Is a terrorist country asking me this question?” He then left the room with members of the Indian delegation while the journalist continued making remarks as they departed.
The remarks were reported by Indian media outlet NDTV on Saturday (September 26).
India has long alleged that Bahawalpur serves as an important base for Jaish-e-Mohammed. Indian intelligence agencies have also identified Muzaffarabad and Bhimber as possible transit routes for infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Indian diplomat Kshitij Tyagi strongly criticized Pakistan in an address to the UN Human Rights Council.
Tyagi said Pakistan should focus on rebuilding its struggling economy rather than attempting to occupy territory belonging to other countries or promoting terrorism.
He said such activities, or creating “drama” at the council, would not help Pakistan repay the economic debt on which, he claimed, the country’s economy depends.
Tyagi also alleged that Islamabad had failed to provide accurate information about protests and civilian deaths in Pakistan-administered Kashmir since June. He claimed the region had faced severe shortages of food, fuel and essential medicines during the protests, while demonstrators accused Islamabad of deliberately restricting emergency relief supplies.
The Indian representative further alleged that several civilians had been killed in the territory since June and that students had been arrested in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He criticized Pakistan’s response to these allegations, saying its delegation had raised a “point of order” instead of addressing the issues.