India shreds Pak in Right of Reply, warns terrorism will have consequences
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned India that any attempt to stop or divert Pakistan’s share of Indus waters would be treated as an “act of war”, drawn a sharp response from New Delhi at the UN as the two neighbours traded accusations over terrorism, Kashmir and the 2025 military conflict.
India on Saturday invoked Osama bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad and accused Pakistan of being dominated by its military after Sharif praised Field Marshal Asim Munir during his UNGA address.
Pak Sharif used his speech at the 81st session of the UNGA high level debate to challenge India’s decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
He also raised Kashmir, credited US President Donald Trump with intervened in last year’s India-Pakistan conflict, and repeatedly praised Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir.
First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot responded through its Right of Reply, accusing Pakistan of peddling falsehoods and warning that continued terrorism would have consequences.
Sharif said India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance had no legal basis.
“Any attempt to stop, impede, or divert Pakistan’s share of waters will be treated as an act of war,” he said.
Sharif also warned, “India, India, India must make no mistake about it.”
India put the 1960 treaty in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, in which 26 people were killed.
New Delhi has maintained that cooperation under the treaty cannot continue while Pakistan supports cross-border terrorism.
India’s response focused heavily on the Pakistani military’s role in the country after Sharif repeatedly praised Munir during his UN address.
“Their puppets may come and go, but let us have no illusion who calls the shots,” Gahlot said.
She described Pakistan as “a regime of the Army, by the Army, and for the Army”.
Gahlot also invoked the 9/11 attacks while attacking Pakistan’s record on terrorism, pointed to the presence of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, near the Pakistan Military Academy.
“They claim to uphold security during the day; they actually carry out terrorism at night,” she said.
Bin Laden was killed by US forces in Abbottabad in 2011.
Gahlot said India would continue to exercise its right to defend itself against terrorism.
“We demonstrated last year that terrorists will have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” she said.
“Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised.”
She issued a warning to Islamabad: “Continued terrorism by Pakistan will have consequences.”
India had launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Sharif also returned to the Kashmir issue, called for a UN-supervised plebiscite and describing Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein”.
“The Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of my country. And will always remain so,” Gahlot said.
She instead pointed to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and accused Islamabad of violence and denial of rights there.
Sharif also credited Trump with what he described as his “timely intervention” during the India-Pakistan military confrontation last year.
India has maintained that the cessation of military action in May 2025 was worked out directly between India and Pakistan and has rejected claims of third-party mediation.
India also challenged Sharif’s remarks on democracy, human rights and religious intolerance.
“We heard some hypocritical homilies about democratic rights and human values from a regime whose capital at this very moment is being fortified against its own people,” Gahlot said.
She responded to Sharif’s allegations of religious intolerance in India, referred to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and its treatment of minorities.
“The world knows how minorities are treated in Pakistan; no pious platitude can mislead it,” she said.
Gahlot closed India’s response by accusing Pakistan of repeatedly using the UN platform to make claims against India.
She said “Reiterating falsehoods year after year does not make them true”.
Gehlot concluded “Pakistan’s terrorism, deceit and duplicity will neither benefit it nor the world.”
