News Brief
India Labels Pakistan A ‘Rogue State’ At United Nations After Defence Minister Asif Admits Supporting Terrorism
United Nations
India has issued a scathing rebuke of Pakistan at the United Nations, branding it a “rogue state” and calling out its defence minister Khwaja Asif’s recent televised admission of supporting and financing terrorist groups, Hindustan Times reported.
This comes just days after the horrific Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
Speaking at the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), India’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Yojna Patel, directly cited the remarks made by Pakistan’s defence minister in a Sky News interview.
“The whole world has heard Pakistan's defence minister Khwaja Asif admitting and confessing Pakistan's history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations in a recent television interview,” she said.
Patel’s remarks follow Khwaja Asif’s candid statement on Sky News where he said, “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades... and the West, including Britain...That was a mistake, and we suffered for that... If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan's track record was unimpeachable.”
Referring to the Pahalgam attack, she said it “represents the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.”
Patel also expressed appreciation for the global outpouring of solidarity following the incident. “This is a testimony to the international community’s zero tolerance for terrorism,” she noted, adding, “We reiterate that terrorism in all its forms must be condemned unequivocally.”
Speaking about the newly launched VoTAN initiative, Patel said, “The establishment of the Victims of Terrorism Association is a significant step. It will create a structured, safe space for victims to be heard and supported. India believes that initiatives like VoTAN are essential to strengthening the global response to terrorism, ensuring that victims remain at the centre of our collective efforts.”
