S Jaishankar Slaps Down Pakistani Reporter at UN Over Terrorism Query

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a blunt reply to a Pakistani reporter who questioned him about terrorism at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The UN Exchange

The verbal clash happened after Jaishankar and Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti finished speaking to the press about a new maritime security initiative. A Pakistani journalist asked Jaishankar when his administration would halt state support for militant groups in Pakistan. Jaishankar fired back immediately, stating that a nation known for terrorism was posing such a query. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, then cut in to tell the reporter that they had received their answer loud and clear. This incident followed a similar moment a day prior when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif refused to answer an Indian journalist who asked him about harbouring militants and prosecuting Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed upon entering the UN building.

Maritime Security Initiative

The press briefing itself was meant to announce a new partnership between India and Liberia called the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, formed during the 81st UN General Assembly session. Both nations created the alliance to protect commercial ships and crew members facing mounting dangers in vital waterways like the Red Sea, the Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz. Jaishankar noted that vessel attacks are no longer rare, citing recent violence that disrupts trade and kills innocent people. India has a major stake in this issue because large numbers of Indian sailors work on cargo ships globally. The dangers hit close to home recently when an Indian sailor died after a bulk carrier named MV Cape Dao was struck off the coast of Oman, though authorities managed to rescue nineteen other Indian crew members. Traffic through key trade channels has dropped sharply due to the ongoing security threats, prompting India to issue safety warnings and track emergency responses for its citizens at sea.