‘We Will Not Bow To Nuclear Blackmail’: India Warns Pakistan; Vows Strong Response To Terrorism

India has warned Pakistan that nuclear threats cannot shield it from consequences for sponsoring terrorism. New Delhi pledged a firm response to every terrorist attack.

“India will not bow to nuclear blackmail,” Anmol Sher Bedi, senior adviser at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, said on Friday.

He warned that “any terrorist attack against India will receive a fitting response”. India would “make no distinction between those who sponsor terrorism and those who mastermind it”.

Bedi said Operation Sindoor targeted terrorist bases in Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. He described India’s response as precise and restrained.

India Flags Nuclear Risks

Addressing the UN General Assembly’s First Committee in New York, Bedi cautioned against treating nuclear weapons as routine instruments of statecraft. He warned that nuclear threats used to shield terrorism could heighten escalation risks.

He assured delegates that India’s nuclear capabilities remain defensive and target no country. India maintains a declared no-first-use policy.

Bedi criticised Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation record, citing Abdul Qadeer Khan’s network. He said it supplied nuclear expertise abroad and exchanged nuclear material for missile technology with North Korea.

Anmol Sher Bedi urged responsible suppliers to scrutinise nuclear and advanced military cooperation with Islamabad. He cited UN Security Council Resolution 1540, adopted in 2004, which prohibits support for weapons of mass destruction proliferation to non-state actors.

Bedi attributed recurring regional crises to terrorism, denial of responsibility and subsequent appeals for restraint. He linked this pattern to Pakistan’s military-dominated governance, arguing that unelected decision-makers face little accountability.

He cited UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ recent meeting with Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, as evidence of the military’s influence.

Bedi defended India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, saying Pakistan had undermined the agreement’s trust. He rejected Islamabad’s Kashmir claims, reaffirmed Jammu and Kashmir’s place in India, and demanded the return of Indian territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation.

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