India Delivers Strong Warning to Pakistan Over Cross-Border Terrorism

India has issued a stern warning to Pakistan, cautioning that continued cross-border terrorism will inevitably lead to consequences. Bhavika Mangalanandan, a First Secretary in India’s UN mission, conveyed this message on Friday during a right of reply session following Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks targeting India at the United Nations General Assembly. Mangalanandan emphasized, “Pakistan should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences,” ruling out any form of agreement while Pakistan continues to support terrorism.

Mangalanandan called it a “travesty” for a nation “run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crime” to have “the audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy.” In his address, Sharif had suggested a “mutual Strategic Restraint Regime,” but Mangalanandan clarified India’s stance, stating, “There can be no compact with terrorism.” She underscored Pakistan’s history of using terrorism as a weapon, citing attacks on India’s Parliament, Mumbai’s financial hub, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes.

Mangalanandan, a 2015 batch Indian Foreign Service officer with a background in counter-terrorism and an MTech from IIT Delhi, highlighted Pakistan’s global terror links. She pointed out, “The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is – a nation that hosted al-Qaeda’s leader Osama bin Laden, and whose policies have attracted terrorists from around the world.” She condemned Pakistan’s hypocrisy, saying it was “extraordinary” for a country with a history of rigged elections to lecture a democracy on political choices.

Mangalanandan further criticized Pakistan for its continuous attempts to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which she reiterated is “an inalienable and integral part of India.” She also called out Pakistan’s past atrocities, including the genocide committed in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War, as well as its ongoing persecution of minorities. “It is ridiculous that a nation guilty of such crimes dares to speak about intolerances and phobias,” she said.

In response to Sharif’s allegations that India promotes Islamophobia and persecutes minorities, Mangalanandan said, “It’s no surprise that Sharif would make such accusations, but we must make clear how unacceptable his words are. Repetition will change nothing, and our stand is clear.”

In a counter-reply, Muhammad Faheem, a Third Secretary in Pakistan’s UN mission, largely repeated Sharif’s accusations, denying any role in the 1971 genocide and instead labeling it “foreign aggression.” He also referenced allegations involving India in incidents in Canada and the U.S., though these claims were dismissed as part of Pakistan’s attempt to deflect from its own record.