'A terrorist country is asking me that' : Jaishankar hits back at Pakistani journalist at UN

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar sharply rebuffed a Pakistani journalist who accused India of sponsoring terrorism, during a press conference on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly on Friday, September 25.

Jaishankar was addressing reporters alongside Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, at the launch of the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, when a Pakistani journalist stood up and shouted, "When will your government stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan?"

"A terrorist country is asking me that question. Come on," Jaishankar replied. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, then told the journalist, "You have heard your reply. You have heard your response, loud and clear."

During the same interaction, Jaishankar spoke about the safety and security of seafarers, citing recent attacks on commercial shipping and merchant mariners across the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Black Sea. "Recent global developments underline the threats posed to the safety and security of seafarers," he said, adding that there could be no justification for violence and loss of life at sea.

The exchange adds to a recurring pattern of sharp confrontations between Jaishankar and Pakistani journalists at UN events over the years, reflecting the continuing diplomatic friction between New Delhi and Islamabad over cross-border terrorism.