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From harbouring Osama bin Laden successful a location that was conscionable a stone’s propulsion distant from its ain subject academy, to grooming and backing groups specified arsenic the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Pakistan’s relation successful fuelling cross-border coercion is nary longer an allegation. It is simply a substance of record. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2019 Pulwama bombing and the onslaught connected tourists successful Pahalgam connected April 22, 2025, are events that carnivore the unmistakable marks of a panic infrastructure being nurtured crossed the border. In effect to the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, striking astatine the roots of this panic web on the Line of Control. Pakistan faces increasing accusations not lone from India but besides from Afghanistan to Balochistan — of fostering determination instability, crushing dissent and deepening unrest.
Just a fewer days ago, India delivered a crisp rebuttal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s code astatine the United Nations General Assembly. Therefore, erstwhile a federation agelong accused of harbouring terrorists is fixed the reins of planetary counter-terrorism efforts — contempt wide grounds of its panic links — the satellite should intermission and inquire questions.
In June this year, successful a determination that sparked disbelief, Pakistan was to pb 2 captious United Nations bodies: the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and arsenic the vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the 15-nation UN body. This improvement besides came astatine a clip erstwhile Pakistan’s credibility connected counter-terrorism was nether scrutiny. On July 1, Pakistan besides officially assumed the Presidency of the UNSC for the period of July.
In the past, the UN’s decisions to marque Libya arsenic the seat of the UN Human Rights Commission and Saudi Arabia arsenic the seat of UN Women’s Rights Commission person travel nether scrutiny. In May 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $1 cardinal indebtedness to Pakistan, contempt concerns implicit its imaginable misuse for panic financing. These developments exposure important loopholes successful the UN’s overseas argumentation and rise questions astir the UN’s committedness to combating planetary terrorism.
Terror shelter
The Pahalgam onslaught highlighted Pakistan’s continuing relation arsenic a haven for panic groups. Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist, has made respective nationalist appearances successful caller years contempt serving a condemnation for panic financing. He has often been seen astatine panic launchpads successful Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) but is “in custody” connected paper. The beingness of Pakistani Army personnel, the Pakistani constabulary and members of civilian bureaucracy astatine the ceremonial procession of terrorists killed successful Operation Sindoor, further indicates Pakistan’s unfastened enactment for violent organisations.
The inclusion of Pakistan successful the UN’s antagonistic coercion mechanisms exposes troubling gaps and issues with the planetary body’s motivation and strategical compass.
First, Pakistan’s long-standing enactment for panic groups specified arsenic the LeT and JeM, straight contradicts the objectives of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. There is capable grounds linking Pakistan’s subject and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to logistical and tactical enactment for panic modules. Yet, the UN prioritised geopolitical considerations implicit motivation and information imperatives.
Second, the UN’s enactment process for committee enactment lacks stringent vetting for a country’s compliance with counter-terrorism standards. Pakistan’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey database successful October 2022, contempt ongoing concerns astir panic financing, exemplifies this leniency.
Third, the determination besides reflects a broader inclination of geopolitical manoeuvring wrong the UN, wherever almighty nations enactment Pakistan’s elevation to unafraid economical oregon strategical interests. This bias compromises the UN’s impartiality and risks legitimising Pakistan’s duplicitous stance connected terrorism.
Fourth, by rewarding duplicity with leadership, the UN sends a unsafe message: state-sponsored panic tin beryllium overlooked if packaged diplomatically.
The IMF indebtedness to Pakistan — portion of a $7 cardinal Extended Fund Facility — fuelled contention contempt India abstaining from the vote. The hazard of funds being misused for panic activities was cited. However, the timing of the loan, conscionable weeks aft the Pahalgam onslaught raised ethical questions connected the UN’s committedness to combat planetary terrorism.
The UN’s unsafe gamble
In May this year, the Pakistan authorities announced a compensation of ₹14 crore to the families of terrorists, including relatives of JeM main Masood Azhar, who were killed successful Indian strikes When a federation equates terrorists with martyrs, 1 does not request to ideate its committedness to peace.
The UN’s determination to entrust Pakistan with cardinal counter-terrorism roles, contempt its explicit ties to terrorism, casts a shadiness implicit UN’s integrity and suggests a troubling disconnect betwixt the UN’s stated goals and its actions.
Such moves volition lone assistance Pakistan legitimise its communicative and task itself arsenic a liable planetary histrion successful counter-terrorism. It volition besides undermine India’s efforts to represent Pakistan arsenic a authorities sponsor of terrorism. Pakistan could signifier narratives astir determination stability, perchance deflecting blasted for determination coercion connected India, peculiarly successful the discourse of Balochistan.
Pakistan’s relation arsenic vice-chair successful the Counter Terrorism Committee allows it to power planetary counter-terrorism policies. This whitethorn person superior repercussions for India’s propulsion to bring Pakistan-based terrorists nether UN sanctions. Pakistan could besides derail India’s increasing diplomatic ties with the Taliban.
Counter-measures by India
India’s nonaccomplishment to artifact Pakistan’s appointments, contempt its outreach to astir UNSC members pursuing the Pahalgam attack, signals a diplomatic challenge.
In antagonistic strategies, India indispensable leverage its strategical alliances with different UNSC members to counterbalance Pakistan’s influence.
That Pakistan is astatine the centre of attraction astatine the White House besides raises doubts connected the U.S.’s committedness to combat coercion for the involvement of commercialized and business.
India should actively enactment successful discussions astatine important UN bodies to item Pakistan’s past of harbouring terrorists. These committees are operated by statement and India’s increasing planetary power tin bounds Pakistan’s quality to propulsion biased agendas. It is indispensable that India and its allies show Pakistan’s relation and propulsion for periodic show reviews and stringent accountability.
India should purpose to deepen its ties with the Taliban authorities — humanitarian assistance missions successful Kabul is 1 anticipation — to antagonistic Pakistan’s power successful the Taliban Sanctions Committee.
India indispensable proactively prosecute an planetary run that engages the planetary media, academia and diaspora, exposing Pakistan’s panic links and pushing for much accountability.
Pakistan’s enhanced diplomatic presumption is apt to promote asymmetric warfare, infiltration and cyber-attacks. Therefore, India indispensable fortify its nationalist information and quality networks.
The Indian government’s soundlessness connected the appointments suggests a cautious approach, but proactive diplomacy volition beryllium important to support India’s communicative connected the planetary stage. The satellite indispensable beryllium alert due to the fact that what begins arsenic a spot astatine the array tin crook into power implicit the agenda. The existent information is not astir Pakistan astatine the precocious table. It is the satellite pretending that it does not matter.
Gauri Mishra is simply a highly decorated naval serviceman with a vocation of astir 2 decades successful the Indian Navy, from wherever she retired arsenic Commander. She is besides a motivational speaker, author, skydiver, and an planetary way cyclist representing India
