India calls Pakistan ‘rogue state’ at UN, says Pak Defence Minister’s open terror admission ‘surprises no one’

India, at the United Nations, described Pakistan as a “rogue state” following Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif’s admission that the country had funded and supported terrorist organisations. The statement came days after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead — the highest number of casualties in a single attack since the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Yojna Patel, referred to a televised interview where Asif stated, “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades… That was a mistake, and we suffered for that.” Patel said this constituted an “open confession” that reaffirmed Pakistan’s long-standing role in sponsoring terrorism in the region. She called on the international community to acknowledge this and act.

Speaking at the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network, Patel said, “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.” She added, “This open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye.”

The UN Security Council issued a statement condemning the Pahalgam terror attack “in the strongest terms,” calling it a “reprehensible act of terrorism.” The Council urged all member states to ensure accountability for the perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors involved in the attack. The Resistance Front, a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba group based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the assault.

Following the attack, India initiated multiple diplomatic measures. These included the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, halting of overland trade at the Attari Integrated Check Post, and the suspension of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals, giving those already in India 40 hours to leave. Both India and Pakistan have also reduced staff at their respective High Commissions.