New York: Terrorists will have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, India said at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in response to Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s claims about Operation Sindoor.
In his address at the UNGA, Sharif thanked US president Donald Trump for his “timely intervention” during Operation Sindoor and warned that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Indus River waters by India would be treated as an “act of war”.
“His timely intervention came at a decisive juncture when two nuclear-armed neighbors stood at the brink of an all-out war. And, who knows, Mr President, the extent of devastation that could have taken place had president Trump not stepped in at this critical moment with clarity of thought and action. Mr President, we must therefore ensure that South Asia never reaches that precipice ever again,” Sharif said.
New Delhi has consistently maintained that the May 2025 ceasefire between India and Pakistan was reached through direct communication between the two sides, with no role played by any third party.
Sharif also said Pakistan exercised its “inherent right of self-defence” under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter during the confrontation, while praising the country’s armed forces for their response.
“A year ago, Pakistan faced external aggression from India under a false pretext. Pakistan exercised its inherent right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter,” he said.
“Our brave and valiant armed forces, under the courageous leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, responded with precision and professionalism. They silenced the enemy, repulsed its attack and taught it a lesson it shall never, ever forget,” Sharif said, as reported by Hindustan Times.
He then renewed Pakistan’s warning over the Indus Waters Treaty, criticising India’s decision to hold the 1960 water-sharing agreement in abeyance.
Describing the shared waters of the Indus River system as the “lifeblood” not only for Pakistan but for the entire region, he claimed that India’s decision had “no legal basis whatsoever”.
“The shared waters of the Indus River system are the lifeblood not only for the people of Pakistan, but for the entire region. India’s unilateral decision to hold the existing treaty in abeyance has no legal basis whatsoever,” Sharif said.
India’s position and actions regarding the treaty had been rejected by UN experts and the Court of Arbitration, he further claimed.
“In fact, both its claims and actions have been rejected by UN experts and, more recently, by the Court of Arbitration. Our legitimate stand that the treaty remains valid, binding and fully operative has been vindicated beyond any ray of doubt,” he said.
“Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them. Therefore, any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the waters will be treated as an act of war. India must make no mistake about it,” Sharif added.
In India’s right to reply, the first secretary in New Delhi’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Petal Gahlot, accused Pakistan of pursuing a long-standing policy of cross-border terrorism and warned that such acts will have consequences.
“At the heart of the issue is the long-standing practice of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan. We demonstrated last year that terrorists will have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised and continued. Terrorism by Pakistan will have consequences…We are confident that this Assembly will recognise Pakistan and its policies for what they really are, not what its representative mendaciously projects it to be. Reiterating falsehoods year after year does not make them true. Pakistan’s terrorism, deceit and duplicity will neither benefit it nor the world,” Gehlot said.