External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday delivered a strong message against state-sponsored terrorism at the United Nations, urging the international community to adopt a unified stance of “zero tolerance” and ensure that terrorists face no impunity or proxy support — and that nations reject “nuclear blackmail.”
Speaking at the inauguration of a digital exhibition titled “The Human Cost of Terrorism” at the UN Headquarters in New York, Jaishankar warned that terrorism remains one of the gravest threats to humanity and called for concerted global action.
The exhibition, on display from June 30 to July 3 and again from July 7 to 11, opened just a day before Pakistan assumes the Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of July.
No Impunity for TerroristsCiting the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, Jaishankar recalled that the UN Security Council had issued a strong condemnation of the incident and demanded accountability. He noted that India’s swift response — including Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — reflected its unwavering message of zero tolerance toward terrorism.
“This response highlights a larger message: no impunity to terrorists, no treating them as proxies, and no yielding to nuclear blackmail,” he said, calling for the exposure and countering of all forms of state sponsorship of terrorism.
“Terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere. Let that understanding guide our collective thinking and response,” he added.
Terrorism Undermines Global NormsDescribing terrorism as “the antithesis of everything the UN stands for,” Jaishankar stressed that it violates international norms, human rights, and the principles of peaceful coexistence. “When terrorism is supported by a State against a neighbour, driven by extremist bigotry, and linked to a web of illegal activities — it must be called out publicly,” he said.
The exhibition showcases major terror attacks across the globe, including the 1993 and 2008 Mumbai attacks and the recent Pahalgam massacre, along with details of the terror outfits responsible — many of them Pakistan-based.
Tribute to Victims, Call to Action“This exhibition is a modest yet resolute effort to give voice to those who can no longer speak — a tribute to victims and a remembrance of shattered lives,” Jaishankar said. “Each image, artifact, and word tells the story of a life interrupted and altered.”
Addressing an audience of UN ambassadors, senior officials, and envoys, Jaishankar concluded by calling on member states not only to remember the victims but to commit to protecting the values that terrorism seeks to destroy.
“At the UN, we must not just remember — we must act,” he said. (Source: IndiaTV)
