India Corners Pakistan at UN, Invokes Osama bin Laden and 9/11

New Delhi, September 26, 2026 India used its Right of Reply at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to respond to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s speech, bringing the focus back to terrorism and Pakistan’s record while invoking the 9/11 attacks and Osama bin Laden. First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Petal Gahlot, delivered the response after Sharif’s address. Referring to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, she questioned Pakistan’s remarks before the General Assembly and recalled that bin Laden had been found living near Pakistan’s premier military academy. Gahlot said, "This afternoon, the General Assembly heard some bizarre remarks from the representative of Pakistan. This happens just a fortnight after New York City and the world marked the 25th anniversary of the horrendous 9-11 terrorist attack. This context is important to keep in mind because its mastermind, Osama bin Laden, was living right on the doorstep of the Pakistani Army's premier academy. This was the very entity which was the subject of such deep genuflection before us today by the representative of Pakistan. But all this is only to be expected from what Pakistanis themselves call a Form 47 government" India’s response sought to challenge Pakistan’s assertions by highlighting the history of terrorism linked to its territory. The exchange once again brought the longstanding diplomatic tensions between the two countries into the UN General Assembly, with New Delhi using its formal Right of Reply to put its counterarguments on record.