India slams Pakistan’s UNGA ‘victory’ claim with evidence of terror strikes

At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, India delivered a sharp rebuttal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent claims of “victory” in the May 7–10 military escalation.

Speaking in India’s right of reply, Petal Gahlot, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, dismissed Sharif’s assertions and highlighted evidence pointing to a very different reality on the ground.

“The intervening event was the destruction caused to multiple Pakistani air bases by Indian forces. The pictures of that damage are publicly accessible,” Gahlot said. “If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangars look like victory, as the Prime Minister claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it.”

Sharif had portrayed Pakistan as the winner of the brief conflict, declaring in his UNGA address: “We have won the war, and now we seek to win peace in our part of the world.” India countered that the reality told a starkly different story.

“The Prime Minister of Pakistan advanced a bizarre account of the conflict. Till May 9, Pakistan threatened further attacks on India, and by May 10, its military itself requested a cessation of hostilities,” Gahlot stressed. She also accused Pakistan of orchestrating terrorist attacks on Indian civilians, emphasizing that New Delhi had acted decisively to defend its people.

Citing Operation Sindoor—the Indian strikes in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians—Gahlot displayed photographic evidence of Pakistani terror hubs being neutralized. “Pictures of terrorists slain in Bahawalpur and Muridke speak louder than words. When Pakistani officials publicly glorify such terrorists, can there be any doubt about the regime’s proclivities?” she asked.

Sharif’s address, India said, included “absurd theatrics,” glorifying terrorism and misrepresenting facts. Gahlot reminded the assembly that Pakistan had shielded The Resistance Front, a terror group responsible for the Pahalgam massacre, just days before.

India’s message was clear: any talk of peace must be backed by concrete action. “If Pakistan is sincere, it must immediately shut down all terrorist camps and hand over to us the terrorists wanted in India,” Gahlot said. She further criticized Pakistan for projecting an image of moral authority at the UN while fostering hate, bigotry, and intolerance domestically.

On the matter of third-party mediation, India reaffirmed its long-standing stance: bilateral resolution remains the only acceptable pathway. “There is no room for any third party in these matters,” Gahlot stated.

Sharif, in his speech, had credited the ceasefire to US President Donald Trump’s intervention. India, however, maintained that the cessation of hostilities resulted from direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries.

Operation Sindoor had showcased India’s precision strikes on Pakistani airbases, radars, ammunition depots, and terror complexes, including Muridke and Bahawalpur. Over 100 terrorists were eliminated, while Pakistani counterattacks were intercepted and neutralized. India has consistently presented satellite imagery and videos of the strikes, leaving little room for Islamabad to misrepresent the outcome as a “victory.”