Not normal to tolerate Pakistan’s continued use of terror as instrument of state policy: India

In a strongly worded response in the UNSC, India said it was not normal to tolerate Pakistan’s continued use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy; as New Delhi hit back at Islamabad’s envoy for making a “wrong and self-serving” statement about Operation Sindoor.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, issued a strong response to Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad’s comments.

Mr. Ahmad spoke about Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty in his speech at the open debate on ‘Reaffirming the Rule of International Law: Ways to Revitalize Peace, Justice and Multilateralism’ at the UN Security Council on Monday, January 26, 2026.

Mr Harish said Pakistan, an elected member of the Security Council, had a single-point agenda: to harm India and its people.

Delhi slammed Islamabad after Mr Ahmad told the Council that Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor “revealed that there could be no ‘new normal’ based on coercion or impunity”, and Mr Harish suggested terrorism could never be normalized as Pakistan wanted.

“We have heard speeches from the Representative of Pakistan regarding the new normal. I would like to reiterate that terrorism can never be normalized as Pakistan wishes. It is not normal that Pakistan continues to use terrorism as a tool of state policy,” said Mr. Harish, adding that India will do whatever is necessary to protect and ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

“This hallowed chamber cannot be a forum for Pakistan to legitimize terrorism,” Mr. Harish said.

Mr. Harish said the Pakistani envoy had “put forward a false and self-serving explanation” about Operation Sindoor, launched by India in May last year, which targeted the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians on April 22.

“The facts in this matter are clear. Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 innocent civilians in a brutal attack in Pahalagam in April 2025. This cherished institution itself has called for holding the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this condemnable act of terrorism accountable and bringing them to justice. That is exactly what we have done,” Mr. Harish said.

Mr Harish’s reference was the Security Council’s press release issued in April last year.

In its statement, the 15-nation body condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the strongest terms and “underlined the need to hold the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this heinous terrorist act accountable and bring them to justice.” The Council emphasized that those responsible for these murders must be held accountable.

Mr. Harish underlined that India’s actions in Operation Sindoor were measured, non-escalatory and responsible and focused on dismantling terrorist infrastructure and neutralizing terrorists.

“Until May 9, Pakistan was threatening further attacks on India. But on May 10, the Pakistani army directly called our army and pleaded for hostilities to stop,” he said, adding that the destruction caused by the Indian operation at several Pakistani air bases was publicly available, including images of destroyed runways and burnt hangars.

Hitting out at Pakistan for raising the Jammu and Kashmir issue, Mr. Harish said Pakistan had no place to comment on India’s internal affairs.

“The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is and always will remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” he said.

On the Indus Waters Treaty, Mr. Harish said India signed the treaty 65 years ago in good faith and in the spirit of goodwill and friendship.

“During these sixty-five years, Pakistan has violated the spirit of the Accord by launching three wars and thousands of terrorist attacks on India. Thousands of Indians lost their lives in Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attacks,” he said.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Mr. Harish said India was “forced to finally announce the abrogation of the Agreement until Pakistan, the global epicenter of terrorism, credibly and irreversibly ends its support for cross-border and all other forms of terrorism.” Moreover, India maintained that Pakistan was advised to introspect on the rule of law.

“He can start by asking himself how he allowed his armed forces to stage a constitutional coup through the 27th amendment and gave lifetime immunity to the Chief of Army Staff,” he said, referring to the 27th Constitutional Amendment passed under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in November last year, which provided lifetime immunity to Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir from any legal prosecution.

It was published – 27 January 2026 09:06 IST