Indian diplomat Petal Gahlot hits back at Pakistan PM at UN

UN Address

Petal Gahlot, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, delivered India's Right of Reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the UN General Assembly for the second consecutive year. Her response followed Sharif's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, where Sharif warned that any attempt by India to stop or divert Pakistan's share of the waters would be an act of war. Gahlot rejected Pakistan's references to Jammu and Kashmir, stating it is an integral part of India, and criticised the Pakistani military's dominance over the country's political system.

Diplomatic Citing

Gahlot described Pakistan's political setup as a regime of the army, by the army, and for the army, noting the 27th Constitutional Amendment approved in November 2025 that expanded the powers of army chief Asim Munir. She also invoked the presence of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad near a military academy and pointed to violence and rights denials in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, specifically mentioning Rawalkot. Turning to security, she warned that cross-border terrorism by Pakistan would have consequences, invoking India's May 2025 military operation named Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack.