Published: 11:39 AM, 27 September 2026
Jaishankar Confronts Pak Journalist Calling Pakistan a Terrorist Country
According to a report by NDTV, a Pakistani journalist questioned Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar about when the Indian government would "stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan." Jaishankar responded immediately: "A terrorist country is asking me that question?" The exchange ended shortly afterward as Jaishankar and other delegates left the room, while the journalist continued speaking. - Collected
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar sharply confronted a Pakistani journalist during an exchange on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, directly referring to Pakistan as a "terrorist country." The brief but heated exchange took place in New York on September 25, 2026, amid renewed diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan.
According to a report by NDTV, a Pakistani journalist questioned Jaishankar about when the Indian government would "stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan." Jaishankar responded immediately: "A terrorist country is asking me that question?" The exchange ended shortly afterward as Jaishankar and other delegates left the room, while the journalist continued speaking.
The unusually direct remark came during the annual gathering of world leaders and senior diplomats at the United Nations. Jaishankar was leading the Indian delegation at the 81st UN General Assembly, where terrorism, regional security and international conflicts were among the issues attracting attention.
India has repeatedly accused Pakistan or Pakistan-based militant groups of involvement in terrorist attacks on Indian territory. According to NDTV's account, New Delhi has specifically pointed to groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which India has linked to several major attacks.
The exchange also comes against the backdrop of the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack killed 26 people, including one Nepali national, according to NDTV. India subsequently carried out missile strikes against what it described as terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
NDTV reported that nine locations were targeted during the Indian operation, with five in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and four in mainland Pakistan. The locations included Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum and Chakwal. Indian authorities said the targets were connected with terrorist infrastructure and organizations including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The latest exchange represents a particularly blunt expression of India's longstanding position on Pakistan and terrorism. In previous international forums, Indian officials have accused Pakistan of providing an environment in which terrorist organizations can operate. New Delhi has consistently called for stronger international action against terrorist networks and their financing.
The issue has also featured prominently in India's diplomatic statements in the weeks leading up to the General Assembly. Earlier in September, India's Ministry of External Affairs described Pakistan as a "state sponsor of terror" while criticizing Islamabad's announcement of an increased reward for information leading to the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. NDTV reported that Indian officials called the Pakistani announcement a "phoney announcement" and said that concrete action was required.
Masood Azhar remains a significant figure in India's allegations concerning cross-border terrorism. The United Nations Security Council designated him an international terrorist in 2019. NDTV reported that Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency continued to list him in its 2026 Red Book of most-wanted high-profile terrorists and had increased the reward for information leading to his arrest.
Jaishankar's latest remarks must also be viewed within the broader diplomatic confrontation between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors. India and Pakistan have a long history of disputes, particularly over Jammu and Kashmir, and relations have repeatedly deteriorated following major militant attacks and military confrontations.
At the same time, Pakistan has rejected India's accusations and has its own position regarding terrorism and the Kashmir dispute. Statements made by Indian officials therefore form part of a broader and deeply contested diplomatic dispute rather than an independently established conclusion about the entire Pakistani state or population.
Jaishankar's comment nevertheless attracted considerable attention because of its unusually direct wording. Unlike earlier remarks in which he described Pakistan as an "epicenter" of terrorism, the minister in this 2026 exchange explicitly used the words "terrorist country" while responding to the journalist.
The incident also illustrates how terrorism continues to dominate India-Pakistan diplomatic relations. While the United Nations provides a forum for dialogue among states, exchanges involving the two South Asian neighbors frequently reflect their unresolved security disputes.
Jaishankar has also been engaged in broader diplomatic discussions during the 2026 UN General Assembly. NDTV reported that he held meetings with foreign ministers from France, Ecuador, Slovakia and Hungary and discussed regional and global issues, including the Ukraine and Gulf crises, economic cooperation and reform of the UN Security Council.
The sharp exchange with the Pakistani journalist therefore occurred alongside India's wider diplomatic efforts at the United Nations. It highlighted the continuing centrality of terrorism to New Delhi's foreign-policy messaging while Jaishankar simultaneously pursued discussions on broader international and bilateral issues.
The incident is likely to add another chapter to the already tense India-Pakistan diplomatic relationship. With both countries continuing to exchange accusations over terrorism and security, the United Nations remains an important platform where their competing positions are presented before the international community.
For South Asia, the continuing challenge is to prevent such confrontations from escalating into wider conflict. Dialogue, diplomatic engagement and effective international mechanisms for addressing terrorism remain important to regional stability. The exchange at the UNGA, meanwhile, demonstrated once again how deeply terrorism and bilateral tensions continue to shape relations between India and Pakistan.
>>NDTV
