"Terrorist Country Asking Me?" S Jaishankar Rips Into Pak Journalist's Question

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hit back at a journalist who asked when the Indian government would "stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan".

"A terrorist country is asking me that question?" Jaishankar asked in response. 

The exchange took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Soon after responding, the Minister and other delegates got up from their chairs and exited the room while the journalist continued his tirade. 

#WATCH | 81st UNGA Session | "A terrorist country is asking me that question," says EAM Dr S Jaishankar in response to a Pakistani's attempt at heckling EAM with a terrorism ‘question' pic.twitter.com/wIfu9OUhfO

— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2026

India has consistently maintained the position that Pakistani or Pakistan-based terrorists have carried out multiple terror attacks in India over the years. In April 22, 2025, Pakistan-based terrorists attacked the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack killed 26 people, including one Nepali national, and injured several others.

In response, India carried out missile strikes against terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The targets included locations in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum and Chakwal.

The facilities were associated with terrorist infrastructure and had been linked to groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), both of which have been blamed for multiple attacks in India.

Of the nine locations targeted, five were in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and four were in mainland Pakistan.

Bahawalpur has long been associated with Jaish-e-Mohammad and has been identified as an important base for the organisation. Muzaffarabad and Bhimber have also previously been identified by security agencies as transit and logistical points connected with infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.

India Slams Pakistan At UN

At the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Indian diplomat Kshitij Tyagi said Pakistan should concentrate on its economic problems rather than seeking territory belonging to other countries or supporting terrorism.

"Pakistan would better serve its people by focusing on development, rather than by coveting territory of others or exporting terror, because neither these, nor its theatrics in the Council, would help repay the loans its economy survives on," Tyagi said.

Tyagi also accused Pakistan of failing to adequately address the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir where scores of civilians had been killed during protests in June. The protests were accompanied by serious shortages of essential supplies. Demonstrators and protest leaders accused Islamabad of restricting or blocking supplies of food, fuel and medicines.

"This Council was told last Friday of scores of civilians killed since June in the territory Pakistan occupies, of students arrested in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and of food and medicine held back," Tyagi said. "When those accounts were given, Pakistan's answer was a point of order. If any delegation in this room meets every objective criterion for this Council's scrutiny, it is Pakistan."