Speaking at launch of Victims of Terrorism Associations Network, Deputy Permanent Representative of India in UN, Yojna Patel, said: “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. The whole world has heard Pakistan’s defence minister Khwaja Asif admitting and confessing Pakistan’s history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations in a recent television interview. This open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye.”
“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 added.
Patel was speaking at the hybrid launch event for the ‘Victims of Terrorism Association Network’ (VoTAN) of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism at the world body’s headquarters on Monday.
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. Pakistan currently sits in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member. A press statement requires agreement from all Council members and is a negotiated text. Patel highlighted that the Council, in its statement, has said that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism must be held accountable and brought to justice.
