New Delhi: A day after the Pakistan prime minister lambasted India, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said that Pakistan’s actions to instil radicalisation are now consuming its own society and that there will be no “impunity” for terrorism.
His comments in New York on September 28 came after prime minister Shehbaz Sharif criticised India’s actions regarding Kashmir, labelling it as a “settler-colonial project” during his speech at the UN.
These verbal exchanges occur amidst speculation regarding Jaishankar’s potential attendance at the upcoming SCO heads of government meeting in Pakistan, which would mark the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan since 2015. The future of this meeting remains uncertain, particularly in light of the recent inflammatory statements exchanged between leaders of both nations.
In his address to the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar asserted that terrorism is “antithetical to everything that the world stands for” and that all forms of it must be “resolutely opposed.”
He noted that while many nations face challenges beyond their control, some – like Pakistan – make choices that lead to disastrous outcomes. “When this polity instills such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation, and its exports in the form of terrorism,” he stated.
He further cautioned that the consequences of Pakistan’s actions are increasingly affecting its own society. “It can’t blame the world. This is only Karma… A dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others must be exposed and counted,” Jaishankar added.
Addressing Sharif’s “bizarre assertions,” he said, “So let me make India’s position perfectly clear. Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed, and it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences”.
He stated that primary issues between the two countries are the return of the territories claimed by India and Pakistan’s need to move away from supporting terrorism.
The Indian foreign minister also implicitly criticised China by stating that the process of sanctioning terrorists at the UN should not be delayed by any country. “All its forms and manifestations must be resolutely opposed. The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons”.
Jaishankar called for reforming multilateral institutions and emphasised the need for decisive global action on ongoing conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.
“The world cannot adopt a fatalistic attitude toward the continuation of large-scale violence, nor can it ignore its broader consequences. Whether concerning the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, the international community must pursue urgent solutions. These sentiments need to be recognised and acted upon,” he stated.
Painting a grim picture about the state of world, he observed, “The world is yet to recover from the ravages of the Covid pandemic. A war in Ukraine is well into its third year. The conflict in Gaza is acquiring wider ramifications”.
He highlighted that across the Global South, development plans have been derailed, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are slipping out of reach.
“Unfair trade practices threaten jobs, just as unviable projects raise debt levels. Any connectivity that flouts sovereignty and territorial integrity acquires strategic connotations. Especially when it is not a shared endeavour,” he said, which was a reference to China’s Belt and Road initiative.
Once hopeful technological advancements, Jaishankar noted, have become sources of anxiety, as climate events grow more frequent and intense. Food security, he warned, is as troubling as health security. In truth, the world stands fractious, polarized and frustrated. Conversations have become difficult; agreements even more so,” he said.
Jaishankar underscored the urgency of reforming multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, to better address these challenges, particularly those exacerbated by division, conflict, terrorism, and violence. “Leaving no one behind,” he said, requires advancing peace, sustainable development, and strengthening human dignity.
