India hit out at Islamabad at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for presenting a “false and self-serving account” of Operation Sindoor, which was launched by New Delhi in May last year targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, defended India’s actions, describing them as measured, non-escalatory, and responsible, aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and neutralising terrorists.
“The facts on this matter are clear,” Harish said. “Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 innocent civilians in a brutal attack in Pahalgam in April 2025. This august body itself called for holding the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and brought to justice. That is exactly what we did.”
Harish was referring to the UNSC statement issued in April last year, which condemned the Pahalgam attack and called for justice for the victims.
"Until May 9, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India. But on May 10, the Pakistani military directly contacted our forces and pleaded for a cessation of fighting,” Harish revealed. He also pointed to public images of significant damage caused to multiple Pakistani airbases during the operation, including destroyed runways and burned-out hangars.
His remarks came in response to Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who told the UNSC that Pakistan’s reaction to Operation Sindoor made it clear that “there can be no ‘new normal’ based on coercion or impunity.”
Harish countered, saying, “We have heard Pakistan’s talk of a ‘new normal.’ Let me be clear: terrorism can never be normalised, as Pakistan would like. It is not acceptable to tolerate Pakistan’s continued use of terrorism as a tool of state policy.”