India delivered a sharp rebuttal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), accusing him of glorifying terrorism and twisting facts about the India-Pakistan conflict.
The response came from Petal Gahlot, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, who spoke shortly after Sharif’s remarks.
“This Assembly witnessed absurd theatrics this morning from the Prime Minister of Pakistan, who once again glorified terrorism, which is so central to their foreign policy,” Gahlot said, leaving no room for ambiguity.
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She pointed to India’s recent counter-terror operations, particularly Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror hideouts in Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistan.
“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 asked.
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Gahlot also dismissed Sharif’s claims about the recent conflict as misleading. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan also advanced a bizarre account of the recent conflict with India. The record on this matter is clear, as till 9th May, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India. But on 10th May, the military pleaded with us directly for a cessation to the fighting,” she said.
‘Pakistan responsible for terrorist attack’
She went on to hold Pakistan responsible for terrorist attacks on Indian soil and stressed India’s right to self-defence. “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,” Gahlot added.
Responding to Sharif’s talk of wanting peace with India, she said firmly, “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 the terrorists wanted in India.”
Highlighting Pakistan’s contradictions, Gahlot added, “It is also ironic that a country which wallows in hate, bigotry, and intolerance should preach to this Assembly on matters of faith.” Sharif’s address controversially credited US President Donald Trump with preventing a potential war between India and Pakistan, a claim India rejected in its rebuttal.
Who is Petal Gahlot?
Petal Gahlot is a career diplomat with expertise in political science, translation, and international affairs. She became First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in July 2023, and in September 2024, she assumed the role of Advisor at the United Nations.
Before her New York posting, Gahlot served as Undersecretary at India’s Ministry of External Affairs from June 2020 to July 2023. She holds a BA in Political Science, Sociology, and French Literature from St. Xavier’s College (2005–2010), a Master’s in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi (2010–2012), and a Master’s in Language Interpretation and Translation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, US (2018–2020).
