‘World Can No Longer Turn a Blind Eye’: India Blasts ‘Rogue State’ Pakistan at UN Over Khwaja Asif’s Terror Confession

Amid escalating tensions over gruesome Pahalgam attack, India has lashed out at Pakistan over the ‘open confession’ by its Defence Minister Khwaja Asif regarding his country’s direct role in training and sponsoring terrorist groups. The comment was made by Ambassador Yojna Patel, India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, in the wake of the deadly terror attack at the Baisaran valley of Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam which left 26 tourists dead. 

“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,” Patel said during her address to the forum. 

‘World Can No Longer Turn A Blind Eye’

“This open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fueling global terrorism and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye,” India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN fumed.

Referring to the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian representative at the UN said that it led to the 'largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008’.

'Doing Dirty Work…’: Pakistan’s Defence Minister’s HUGE Admission

In a recent interview with a British news channel, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif made a huge admission that his country has been aiding the terrorist groups for three decades now. Admitting that Pakistan was involved in ‘dirty work’ of funding and backing terror outfits on behalf of the West and United Kingdom, Asif called it ‘mistake’. He also said that Pakistan has paid a heavy price for its actions. He then regretted Pakistan’s involvement with the West during the Soviet-Afghan war and the US-led war against the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks.

Amid heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, this admission by Pakistani Defence Minister admission has drawn widespread international condemnation. 

Yojna Patel Thanks India's Global Allies, Lambasts Pakistan

Thanking the global community for its support against the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Patel said, “India deeply appreciates and values the strong, unequivocal support and solidarity extended by leaders and governments across the world in wake of the recent terrorist attack at Pahalgam.”

Calling acts of terrorism ‘criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever, and by whomever committed’, she noted that India, as a victim of cross-border terrorism since decades, fully understands the long-lasting impact of terrorism on victims, their families, and society. “Perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism must be held accountable and brought to justice,” Patel added.

Ambassador Yojna Patel also lambasted Pakistan for continuously misusing and undermining the United Nations forum to propagate falsehoods and baseless allegations against India.

What is VoTAN?

Patel’s sharp response to Pakistan came during the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Association Network (VoTAN), by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). VoTAN will serve as a global network of victims and survivors of terrorism under the umbrella of the Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme. 

This global community aims to unite victims of terrorism, drives collective action in favour of victims’ rights, and demonstrates the significant expertise and resilience of its members as advocates, educators, and peacebuilders.

Praising the initiative as a pivotal move toward addressing the needs of terror victims, Patel reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms must be condemned unequivocally. 

She called VoTAN a structured, safe space for victims to be heard and supported. “India believes that initiatives like BOTAN are essential to strengthening the global response to terrorism, ensuring that victims remain at the center of our collective efforts,” she added further.