Pak Defence Minister's open confession exposes country as 'rogue state' fuelling global terrorism: India at UN

PTI, UNITED NATIONS, APRIL 29, 2025: India said that the open confession of Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitting to his country's history of supporting and funding terrorist organizations exposes Pakistan as a "rogue state" fueling global terrorism and destabilizing the region.

India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yojna Patel, delivered a strong Right of Reply at the hybrid launch event for the Victims of Terrorism Association Network (VoTAN) of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism here Monday when Pakistan's delegate made a reference to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It is unfortunate that one particular delegation has chosen to misuse and undermine this forum to indulge in propaganda and make baseless allegations against India," Patel said. "The whole world has heard the Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitting and confessing Pakistan's history of supporting, training, and funding terrorist organizations in a recent television interview," she said.

Patel asserted that "this open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fueling global terrorism and destabilizing the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye. I have nothing further to add," she said.

In a recent interview on Sky News, Asif said: "Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know, and the West, including Britain," to a comment where he admits that Pakistan has had a long history of backing, supporting, training, and funding these terrorist organizations.

India also said that the "strong, unequivocal" support and solidarity extended by global leaders in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam is a testimony to the international community's "zero tolerance" for terrorism.

"The Pahalgam terrorist attack represents the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008," Patel said. "Having been a victim of cross-border terrorism for decades, India fully understands the long-lasting impact such acts have on victims, their families, and society," Patel said during the launch of the event.