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Hans India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Pahalgam attack worst since 26/11
New Delhi: India strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, describing it as the worst civilian attack since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Delivering India's statement at the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Association Network (VoTAN) at the United Nations, Deputy Permanent Representative of India Yojna Patel, said, 'The Pahalgam terrorist attack represents the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008. '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.' She emphasised that India, with its history of facing cross-border terrorism, recognises the profound scars such acts leave on societies over time. Ambassador Patel also acknowledged the strong and unequivocal support shown by the international community in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan a rogue state fuelling global terror: India at UN
India slammed at on Monday, calling it a "rogue state fuelling global terrorism". Yojna Patel, India's deputy permanent representative to UN, said in New York, "The whole world has heard Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif admitting and confessing its history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations in a recent interview. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as (the one) destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye." India cites Pak def min's 'dirty work' remark to bolster case It is unfortunate that one particular delegation (Pakistan) has chosen to misuse and undermine this forum to indulge in propaganda and make baseless allegations against India,' Patel said as she delivered a strong 'right of reply' at a hybrid launch event for 'Victims of Terrorism Association Network' (VoTAN) of UN Office of Counter-Terrorism in New York. Pakistan's delegate not only made a reference to the Pahalgam terror attack, but also reportedly said that it had credible evidence about the Jaffar Express train attack in Balochistan in March being sponsored by 'its regional adversaries'. Patel referred to a recent interview of the Pakistan defence minister to buttress her point. Asif had 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. Patel 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 understands the long-lasting impact such acts have on victims and their families ,' she added. India also termed the establishment of VoTAN as a significant step, saying it will create a structured, safe space for victims to be heard and supported.
Hans India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Pak minister's admission exposes role as 'rogue state fuelling global terrorism': India at UN
United Nations: Pakistan's role as a 'rogue state fuelling global terrorism' has been laid bare by the public admission made by its Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and the world cannot ignore it, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Yojna Patel has said. Referring to Asif's recent interview with Sky News, she said on Monday that 'the whole world has heard' him 'admitting and confessing Pakistan's history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations'. "This open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region,' she said. 'The world can no longer turn a blind eye'. Patel was responding to a Pakistani diplomat's veiled attack on India at the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN). '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,' she said. A Sky News interviewer last week asked Asif if Pakistan had a long history of 'backing and supporting and training and funding' terrorist organisations. He candidly admitted that it had. But tried to pass on a part of the blame to the West, recalling their joint operations in support of Islamic groups fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan more than 36 years ago. 'We have been doing this dirty work for the US for the past three decades, including the West and the United Kingdom,' he claimed, although the West did not sponsor or support attacks on India. Earlier, Jawad Ajmal, a counsellor at the Pakistan Mission, asserted that Pakistan 'has credible evidence' that the terrorist attack by the Baloch Liberation Army on a passenger train 'had external sponsorship from our adversaries in the region'. Although he did not explicitly name India, he was echoing the head of Pakistan's military public relations, Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhury, who claimed that India financed the Baloch Liberation Army, which has been accused of attacking the train last month. Even as he expressed concern over last week's terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam and offered condolences to the families of victims, Ajmal could not resist adding a barb asserting that the incident occurred in 'Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir'. A front organisation of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which calls itself the Resistance Front, has owned responsibility for the Pahalgam massacre that claimed the lives of 26 people. Ajmal said that Pakistan, currently an elected member of the Security Council, joined the others on the Council to condemn this attack. The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism launched the VoTAN to bring together victims of terrorism, their associations and civil society groups and form a global network to support the victims. Ambassador Patel said that 'the strong, unequivocal support and solidarity extended by leaders and governments across the world' after the Pahalgam attack "is a testimony to the international community's zero tolerance for terrorism'. It caused the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008, she 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', she said.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
At UN, India calls out Pakistan as ‘rogue state', says 'defence minister's open confession surprises no one'
India has called Pakistan a 'rogue state' at the United Nations, highlighting Pakistani defence minister Khwaja Asif's 'open confession' to training and funding terrorists, days after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. In a recent interview with Sky News, the Pakistani defence minister admitted that Pakistan has been funding and backing terrorist groups. India's deputy permanent representative at the UN Yojna Patel on Monday said the confession was not surprising, and it exposed Pakistan as a 'rogue state' that has been fuelling global terrorism. '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,' Yojna Patel said. Speaking at the launch of Victims of Terrorism Associations Network, the Indian envoy said, 'The Pahalgam terrorist attack represents the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008. 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.' She added that India also appreciates and values the strong, unequivocal support and solidarity extended by leaders and governments across the world in the wake of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. 'This is a testimony to the international community's zero tolerance for reiterate that terrorism in all its forms must be condemned unequivocally. The establishment of the Victims of Terrorism Association (VoTAN) is a significant step. 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,' said ambassador Yojna Patel. In the video, the Pakistan defence minister was asked by Sky News's Yalda Hakim if he admitted that Pakistan has had a long history of backing, supporting, training and funding these terrorist organisations. Khwaja Asif in his reply said, 'We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades... and the West, including was a mistake, and we suffered for that, and that is why you are saying this to me. If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan's track record was unimpeachable.' (With inputs from agencies)
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Pakistan confessing that it supports, funds terrorists surprises no one': India calls neighbouring nation 'rogue state' at UN
India strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack, highlighting the global solidarity and zero tolerance for terrorism. At the UN, India criticized Pakistan for supporting terrorism and emphasized the long-lasting impact of cross-border terrorism. The launch of the Victims of Terrorism Association Network (VoTAN) aims to support victims' rights and strengthen the global response to terrorism. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN said that the Pakistan's defence minister Khwaja Asif's confession on supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations surprises no one and exposes the neighbouring nation as a rogue state fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region."The Pahalgam terrorist attack represents the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008," India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yojna Patel, 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 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 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 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.
