External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a hostile reaction to a Pakistani journalist who questioned him about terrorism during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday. The exchange took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and came as India continued to raise terrorism and security concerns in international forums.
The Pakistani journalist asked Jaishankar, "When will your government stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan?” In response, the External Affairs Minister said: “A terrorist country is asking me that question. Come on.” India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Harish Parvathaneni, told the journalist, “You have heard your reply. You have heard your response, loud and clear.”
Jaishankar-Pakistani Journalist Exchange At UN
The meeting came after Jaishankar and Liberia's Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti spoke to reporters in an interaction linked to the newly established Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers. The briefing was announced as a remarks-only conversation before it had started, the newspapers reported.
The Pakistani journalist intervened towards the end of the interaction with the terrorism question. Jaishankar replied briefly before the interaction ended. This was separate from the actual maritime safety and security discussion.
#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
Jaishankar is in New York as part of India’s delegation for the 81st UN General Assembly. The provisional schedule of the United Nations lists the general debate from September 22 to 26 and September 28, 2026.
India’s Position On Cross-Border Terrorism
Terrorism remains a major issue in India-Pakistan diplomatic ties. New Delhi has constantly accused Pakistan of allowing terrorist groups to operate from its territory and has called for credible action against cross-border terrorism.
The latest exchange comes more than a year after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, in which 26 people were killed. India later carried out Operation Sindoor and stated the military action was a reaction to the attack. India has continued to raise the issue of terrorism in bilateral and multilateral forums.
Pakistan has rejected Indian allegations of supporting terrorism and has itself made allegations against India, including the claim raised by the Pakistani journalist at the UN briefing. These competing allegations are part of the wider diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
TRF Designation And Pahalgam Attack
The Resistance Front (TRF) has also been a focus in discussions about the Pahalgam attack. TRF was declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist in July 2025 by the United States. The US designation identified TRF as linked with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and said the group had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.
India has also sought international action against terrorist organisations and individuals that it says operate from or receive shelter in Pakistan. Terrorist financing and the enforcement of measures against designated groups have been recurring subjects of India’s diplomatic engagements.
Pakistan And FATF Scrutiny
Pakistan’s record of taking on terrorist financing has also received international scrutiny. The country was placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list in June 2018 and was under surveillance until October 2022. During that time, Pakistan needed to remedy deficiencies in money laundering and terrorist financing.
The FATF process has since been cited by India as part of the international scrutiny on Pakistan's efforts to tackle terrorist financing. However, the FATF grey list period and current diplomatic allegations are separate matters and should not be treated as proof of every individual claim made by either side.
Jaishankar at 81st UN General Assembly
The exchange took place during a larger diplomatic tour of India's delegation at the UN. Jaishankar has been holding bilateral and plurilateral meetings during the high-level week, with India and Liberia working together on the safety and security of commercial shipping and seafarers.
But the brief exchange with the Pakistani journalist is still significant, and reflects the continuing dispute between India and Pakistan over terrorism. Jaishankar’s response and the journalist’s question have been widely reported, but the underlying allegations remain contested by both sides.
