'Not In Caves': India Slams Pakistan At UN, Says 9/11 Plotters Were Found In Pakistan
India criticized Pakistan at the United Nations for providing safe havens to terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammed. It highlighted the presence of 9/11 plotters in Pakistan and rejected claims that Al-Qaeda's leaders were only hiding in remote areas.
- World News
- 3 min read
New Delhi: India has hit out at Pakistan at the United Nations over what it described as the continued existence of terror sanctuaries, drawing attention to the presence of Al-Qaeda operatives and 9/11 plotters on Pakistani soil.
Addressing the UN, India called for the dismantling of environments that shelter terrorist organisations, warning that the infrastructure and safe havens that once protected Al-Qaeda figures continue to pose a threat through groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
India specifically rejected the narrative that Al-Qaeda's leadership was confined to remote caves, pointing to the locations where senior members of the network were subsequently found. Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011, while several other 9/11 plotters and Al-Qaeda figures were captured in Pakistani cities.
The 9/11 Commission report records that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, identified as the principal architect of the September 11 attacks, had extensive links to Pakistan and travelled between Pakistan and Afghanistan during the years when the plot was being developed. The report also documents how 9/11 operatives received training and logistical support in Karachi and stayed in safe houses in Pakistan.
Bin Laden himself was eventually found living in a compound in Abbottabad, close to the Pakistan Military Academy. According to reports, several senior Al-Qaeda figures had moved from Afghanistan's border areas to Pakistani cities after 9/11. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Rawalpindi, while other 9/11 plotters were arrested in Faisalabad and Karachi.
India Flags LeT, JeM
India's latest intervention also highlighted Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, two Pakistan-based terror organisations that New Delhi has repeatedly accused of carrying out or supporting attacks against India.
Jaish-e-Mohammed, founded by Masood Azhar around 2000, has been linked to several major attacks in India and remains designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations. The group has also maintained links with other militant organisations, according to terrorism research.
The issue of Masood Azhar has remained particularly contentious between India and Pakistan. Azhar was released from Indian custody in 1999 following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 and subsequently founded Jaish-e-Mohammed. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency continues to list him among its most-wanted terrorists, while he is also designated as an international terrorist by the UN.
India Calls For Dismantling Of Terror Ecosystems
India's message at the UN centred on the need to dismantle the broader ecosystems that allow terrorist organisations and their leadership to operate, rather than focusing only on individual terrorists.
The Indian position comes against the backdrop of longstanding international concerns over the presence and activities of terrorist organisations in the region. The 9/11 Commission documented how Al-Qaeda's leadership maintained extensive networks across Pakistan and Afghanistan and how Pakistan-based safe houses were used during preparations for the September 11 attacks.
India's remarks therefore sought to draw a direct connection between the historical experience of Al-Qaeda's leadership finding refuge in Pakistan and the continued concerns surrounding groups such as LeT and JeM.
New Delhi's broader argument at the UN was that combating terrorism requires dismantling the environments, infrastructure and support networks that enable such organisations to survive and operate.
Published By : Melvin Narayan
Published On: 17 September 2026 at 08:49 IST