Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
United Nations, Jan 27: India told the UN Security Council on Monday that Pakistan had directly “pleaded” for an end to Operation Sindoor, dismissing Islamabad’s claims of unprovoked military aggression and external intervention. India’s Permanent Representative, P. Harish, reaffirmed that the country will take all necessary steps to protect its citizens and national security.
“Let me reiterate again that terrorism can never be normalised as Pakistan wishes to do,” Harish stated, highlighting that the operation was a measured response to terrorist attacks originating from Pakistan.
Harish provided a timeline of events, noting that Pakistan had continued threatening India until May 9, after which the Pakistani military called Indian forces to request a cessation of the operation. He cited public images of destroyed Pakistani air bases, runways, and hangars as evidence of the operation’s impact.
The operation followed the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front, an affiliate of Lashkar-e-Taiba, designated a terrorist organisation by India and the US.
“India’s actions were measured, non-escalatory, responsible, and focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorism,” Harish said, noting that Operation Sindoor was carried out in line with the Security Council’s mandate to hold perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism accountable.
Addressing Pakistan’s claims during the Council’s open debate on “Reaffirming international rule of law,” Harish firmly rejected allegations regarding Kashmir. “The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” he said.
He also explained India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, stressing that the move was a response to Pakistan’s ongoing support for cross-border terrorism. “The treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its backing of terror,” Harish said.
On Islamabad’s tendency to raise Kashmir and other disputes at UN forums regardless of the agenda, Harish asserted, “This hallowed chamber cannot become a forum for Pakistan to legitimise terrorism.”
Harish further called on Pakistan to introspect regarding its internal governance, citing the 27th Amendment to the Pakistani Constitution, which effectively established military supremacy and granted lifetime immunity to the chief of defence forces.
India’s statement came amid Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad labeling Operation Sindoor as an “unprovoked military aggression” and raising issues related to Kashmir and the Indus treaty. Harish’s response underscored India’s position that the operation was a measured, lawful response aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and ensuring national security.