United Nations: India said that the open confession of Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitting to his country’s history of supporting and funding terrorist organisations exposes Pakistan as a “rogue state” fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region.
India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yojna Patel delivered a strong Right of Reply at the hybrid launch event for the ‘Victims of Terrorism Association Network’ (VoTAN) of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism here Monday when Pakistan’s delegate made a reference to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
“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,” Patel said.
“The whole world has heard the Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitting and confessing Pakistan’s history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations in a recent television interview,” she said.
Patel asserted that “this open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fueling global terrorism and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye. I have nothing further to add,” she said.
In a recent interview on Sky News, Asif said “Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know, and West, including Britain” to a comment that he admits that Pakistan has had a long history of backing, supporting, training and funding these terrorist organisations.
Also, India said that the “strong, unequivocal” support and solidarity extended by global leaders in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam is a testimony to the international community’s “zero tolerance” for terrorism.
“The Pahalgam terrorist attack represents the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008,” Patel said.
“Having been a victim of cross-border terrorism for decades, India fully understands the long-lasting impact such acts have on victims, their families and society,” Patel said during the launch of the event.
She said that “India deeply appreciates and values the strong, unequivocal support and solidarity extended by leaders and governments across the world in the wake of the recent terrorist attack at Pahalgam, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This is a testimony to the international community’s zero tolerance for terrorism.”
Global leaders, including US President Donald Trump, US Vice President J D Vance, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed their condolences and solidarity with India.
“Acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomever committed. We reiterate that terrorism in all its forms must be condemned unequivocally,” she said.
India also termed the establishment of the Victims of Terrorism Association (VoTAN) as a significant step, saying it will create a structured, safe space for victims to be heard and supported.
“India believes that initiatives like VoTAN are essential to strengthening the global response to terrorism, ensuring that victims remain at the centre of our collective efforts,” Patel said.
The hybrid launch event commenced with a video showing testimonies of survivors and families of victims of terror attacks around the world, including by survivor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack Karambir Singh Kang, Nidhi Chaphekar and the son of a woman killed in the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 en route from Toronto to London.
Kang, who was the General Manager of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai when the 26/11 terror attacks occurred, lost his wife and two sons in the barbaric attack. Chaphekar is a survivor of the ISIS bombing at Zaventem Airport in Brussels, Belgium, in March 2016.
She was a cabin manager for the Indian airline Jet Airways and became the face of the victims and survivors of the terror attack after a photograph, showing her slumped on a chair at the airport, her stunned face bloodied and covered in dust and her yellow Jet Airways uniform blazer ripped apart, showcased to the world the horror of the attack.
VoTAN is an initiative bringing together victims of terrorism and victims’ associations from across the globe to drive collective action to support victims’ rights and needs.
“Terrorism remains a serious threat to international peace and security, and a daily reality for thousands of people around the world. Women, children, and young people continue to be among the most vulnerable victims of these attacks. Given the global nature of the threat, no nation, no community, no individual, is immune,” the UN said.
VoTAN aims to provide a safe space for victims and survivors of terrorism to support each other, build resilience and engage as advocates, educators, and peacebuilders.
By facilitating collaboration, sharing best practices, and amplifying the voices of victims, the network seeks to strengthen the resilience of societies against the impact of terrorism, it said.
The development of the network was supported by a financial contribution from Spain. The initiative was a key outcome from the first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, held in September 2022 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
