India slams Pakistan at UNSC, calls for serious cost on states promoting cross-border terrorism

NEW DELHI: At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting chaired by Pakistan, India issued a scathing rebuke of its neighbour, calling for a serious cost on nations that sponsor cross-border terrorism. Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations, P. Harish, described Pakistan as steeped in fanaticism and terrorism and a serial borrower from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The UNSC high-level open debate on Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes was presided over by Pakistans Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, on Tuesday. Dar used the forum to raise the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty , which India has put under suspension following the Pahalgam terror attack. In a strong response, Harish said, It ill behoves a member of the Council to offer homilies while indulging in practices that are unacceptable to the international community. Citing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, he held the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba and its front, The Resistance Front, responsible for the act. States that violate the spirit of good neighbourliness and international relations by fomenting cross-border terrorism must face serious consequences, Harish said. Following the Pahalgam attack and the UNSC statement condemning the incident, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indias response was focused, measured, and non-escalatory. Military operations ceased immediately after achieving objectives, at Pakistans request, the envoy said. He also stated that India would hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures support for cross-border terrorism. Harish contrasted Indias development model with that of Pakistan. On the one hand, there is India, a mature democracy and a surging economy. At the other extreme is Pakistan, steeped in fanaticism and terrorism and a serial borrower from the IMF, he said. In May, the IMF approved another $1 billion loan to Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility. Highlighting the evolving nature of global conflict, Harish said non-state actors backed by state sponsors now pose the gravest threat to peace. Cross-border funding, arms trafficking, radical ideologies, and digital technologies have become tools of disruption, he warned. He also stressed the need to reform the UNSC, stating, There are growing doubts about the multilateral system. Its representativeness and efficiency must be addressed urgently. Pakistan open to 'meaningful dialogue' with India: PM Shehbaz Sharif