UNITED NATIONS: The India-Pakistan rivalry resurfaced at the UN General Assembly this week, even in the absence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For over seven decades, clashes between the two neighbours have often dominated the UNGA stage, particularly when both leaders speak.

This year’s 80th session lacked the usual prime ministerial face-off — but the sparks flew during the Right of Reply exchanges.

Sharif’s stark reminder

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recalled the May 2025 conflict with India, asserting that Pakistan’s armed forces had “brought down seven Indian planes” during the hostilities.

World shouldn’t ignore ‘terrorist epicentre’, says Indian FM

He praised US President Donald Trump for his role in brokering a ceasefire, calling him “a man of peace” and noting that Pakistan had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sharif also reminded the assembly that, according to President Trump, it was New Delhi that had requested the United States to arrange the ceasefire — a subtle rebuke to India’s narrative.

India pushes back

India, through its First Secretary at the UN, Petal Gahlot, exercised the Right of Reply to reject Sharif’s claim about downed planes. She asserted that Indian forces had inflicted significant damage on Pakistani airfields and suggested that Pakistan had requested a halt to hostilities after setbacks during Operation Sindoor.

Pakistan replies

Pakistan’s Counsellor, Saima Saleem, delivered a sharp rebuttal. She dismissed Gahlot’s claim that India had “won” the conflict, calling it “a fabricated narrative meant to conceal India’s failure on the battlefield”.

“We are compelled to respond to a state that cannot decide whether to masquerade as the world’s largest democracy or expose itself as the world’s largest factory of disinformation,” Saleem said.

She accused India of practising state-sponsored terrorism both at home and abroad: “India has become the only country that treats terrorism as state policy, spreading fear domestically and destabilising others beyond its borders.”

On the May conflict, she said: “When its adventurism collapsed in defeat, India resorted to excuses — but the truth could not be concealed. Pakistan defended its sovereignty and emerged stronger in resolve and preparedness.”

Agencies add: India on Saturday warned the world against turning a blind eye to what it called “support for terrorism”.

Addressing the UN General Assembly a day after Pakistan used the forum to appeal for talks, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar demanded “much deeper global cooperation” against terrorism.

“India has confronted this challenge since independence, having a neighbour that is an epicentre of global terrorism,” Jaishankar said, without naming Pakistan.

“For decades now, major international terrorist attacks are traced back to that one country,” he said.

“Those who condone nations that sponsor terror will find that it comes back to bite them,” he said, also without naming countries.

Jaishankar said that India “exercised its right to defend its people against terrorism”.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2025