‘A Terrorist Country Is Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pakistani Journalist

Jaishankar hit back at a Pakistani journalist’s terrorism question at the UN, calling Pakistan a “terrorist country”. He also called for text-based UN reforms and greater Global South cooperation.

Jaishankar hit back at a Pakistani journalist’s terrorism question at the UN, calling Pakistan a “terrorist country”.

Source : ANI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• EAM Jaishankar rebuked Pakistani journalist over terrorism allegations at UN.
• Jaishankar urged UN reforms, demanding text-based negotiation, ending frustration.
• India advocates UN Security Council reform, seeking permanent seat.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday hit back at a Pakistani journalist who questioned him over allegations of India sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan, saying, “A terrorist country is asking me that question. Come on.”

Jaishankar and Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti were speaking to the press at the United Nations headquarters on the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers when the Pakistani journalist stood up and asked, “When will your government stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan?”

#WATCH | 81st UNGA Session | "A terrorist country is asking me that question," says EAM Dr S Jaishankar in response to a Pakistani’s attempt at heckling EAM with a terrorism ‘question’ pic.twitter.com/wIfu9OUhfO

— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2026

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, then told the journalist, “You have heard your reply. You have heard your response, loud and clear.”

The exchange came a day after an Indian journalist asked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as he entered the UN building, “When will you stop harbouring terrorists?”

Jaishankar Calls For UN Reform

Meanwhile, Jaishankar said frustrations are mounting among the international community over the lack of progress on reforms at the United Nations, asserting that those opposing reform are “using” the world body and do not care about it.

Speaking at a ministerial session titled ‘Ruptures & Ramparts: Building Bridges for a Changing World’, organised on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar said the demand for UN reform has become stronger.

“Frustrations are mounting because at the end of the day, if we are serious about reform, we need some text-based negotiation because you can't have a negotiation without a text. Then it’s not a negotiation. Then it’s just gaining time,” he said.

The session was organised by the Observer Research Foundation, Reliance Foundation, UN in India and the Permanent Mission of India to the UN.

Jaishankar said there is a growing sentiment that the UN needs to change and become more reflective of the contemporary world.

“The UN is seen as behind the curve. That's not being anti-UN. It's actually those who care for the UN would like to reform the UN,” he said.

“I would suggest to you that those who oppose the reform are people who don't really care for the UN. They are using the UN, but they don't care for the UN,” Jaishankar added.

‘Reform Cannot Happen By Unanimity’

Jaishankar said UN reform cannot be achieved through unanimity and argued that a democratic process should be followed.

“You're not going to get reform by unanimity,” he said, adding that even democracies make decisions through voting.

“Everybody should have a right to put their views forward, and then people need to take a vote,” he said.

Jaishankar stressed that if there is a genuine desire for reform, there must be a text to negotiate.

“You need to get everybody's ideas on that text, and then you need to find a democratic resolution of those ideas,” he said.

‘Global South More Willing To Share’

Jaishankar also said countries in the Global South are showing a greater inclination to cooperate and share with one another.

“Countries are willing to talk to each other more, willing to do more things with each other, and that itself is a good thing because what it does is it breaks the old dependencies,” he said.

He said this process was contributing to a “more democratic world”.

On the selection of the next UN Secretary General, Jaishankar said the idea of having a woman as Secretary General was a “bottom-up idea, not a top-down idea”.

India’s Push For Security Council Reform

In his final address to the high-level UNGA debate, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for reform of the Security Council so that it reflects the contemporary world and has the legitimacy to address current geopolitical challenges.

India has for years pushed for reform of the Security Council, including expansion of both its permanent and non-permanent categories. New Delhi has argued that the 15-member Council, established in 1945, does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.

India has also maintained that it deserves a permanent seat on the Security Council.

The country is currently vying for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term, with elections scheduled for June next year.