Operation Sindoor: India Says Pakistan Pleaded to Halt Fighting

Operation Sindoor: India Says Pakistan Pleaded to Halt Fighting

UNGA clash: India rebuts Shehbaz, claims Pakistan begged for truce after Indian strikes devastated its airbases and military capacity.

India Slams Pakistan at UNGA: ‘Your Military Pleaded With Us to Stop Fighting’

At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, India launched one of its sharpest counterattacks in recent years against Pakistan, rejecting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s claims of “victory” during the May conflict and accusing Islamabad of glorifying terrorism.

Delivering India’s Right of Reply, Petal Gahlot, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, said Pakistan’s military had itself “pleaded” with India to halt hostilities after suffering crippling damage during Operation Sindoor, a major retaliatory strike carried out by Indian forces in May.

   ‘Absurd Theatrics and Glorification of Terrorism’

India’s response came after Shehbaz Sharif used his UNGA speech earlier in the day to once again raise the Kashmir issue, accuse India of aggression, and claim Pakistan “won the war” during the recent conflict.

“This assembly witnessed absurd theatrics in the morning from the prime minister of Pakistan, who once again glorified terrorism that is so central to their foreign policy,” Gahlot told world leaders.

She added that Sharif’s account of the fighting was not just misleading but “bizarre,” and reminded the General Assembly of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility.

   Operation Sindoor: India’s Retaliation

In response to the Pahalgam massacre, India launched Operation Sindoor in May, striking deep into Pakistani territory and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation targeted terror infrastructure in Bahawalpur and Muridke, long believed to be Lashkar-e-Taiba strongholds.

According to Gahlot, the strikes devastated Pakistani military airbases and terror camps. “Till May 9, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India. The intervening event was the destruction caused to multiple Pakistani airbases by Indian forces,” she said.

India stressed that photographs of the damaged airbases are “publicly accessible” and stand as undeniable proof of the destruction.

   Pakistan’s Claim of ‘Victory’ Mocked

Sharif, in his UN speech, had claimed Pakistan emerged victorious and had agreed to a ceasefire facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s “bold leadership.”

India hit back strongly.

Gahlot said.

India maintained that the actual cessation of hostilities came not through American mediation but through direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries.

   Targeting Lashkar and Its Leaders

India also highlighted the damage inflicted on Lashkar-e-Taiba’s terror network.

One viral photograph that followed the strikes showed Lashkar terrorist Hafiz Abdul Rauf leading prayers for those killed in the bombings on LeT’s Muridke headquarters. The funeral, notably, was attended by members of the Pakistan Army — a sign, India argued, of the close ties between the Pakistani military and terror groups.

   ‘No Role for Third Parties’

“India and Pakistan have long agreed that any outstanding issue between them will be addressed bilaterally,” Gahlot said.

   Shielding Terrorists at the UN

India also reminded the UNGA of Pakistan’s maneuvering at the UN Security Council following the Pahalgam attack. On April 25, the Council issued a statement condemning the massacre and stressing the need to hold perpetrators accountable. But the statement conspicuously left out the name of the Resistance Front after Pakistan lobbied to have it removed.

   ‘Pakistan Must Shut Down Terror Camps’

In a blunt message, India demanded that Pakistan immediately close all terror camps operating on its soil and hand over individuals wanted in India for terrorism.

Gahlot accused Pakistan of “deploying and exporting terrorism” while presenting itself as a victim before the world.

She also called Pakistan’s narratives “ludicrous” and said that the country’s “political and public discourse reflects its true nature. Clearly, a look by them at the mirror is long overdue.”

Operation Sindoor has marked a turning point in the India–Pakistan conflict narrative. While Pakistan sought to frame the ceasefire as a diplomatic achievement under Trump’s leadership, India used the UNGA platform to assert that it was Pakistan’s weakened military position — not foreign mediation — that forced Islamabad to seek an end to fighting.

The reference to “pleading” by Pakistan’s military was especially striking, signaling India’s intent to project strength and undermine Pakistan’s narrative on the global stage.

For New Delhi, the message was clear: terrorism will be met with overwhelming force, and Pakistan cannot escape accountability by playing to international audiences.

   The Road Ahead

Whether Operation Sindoor results in longer-term deterrence remains to be seen. But at the UNGA, India ensured that Pakistan’s claims of “victory” were firmly challenged.

As Gahlot concluded: “We have exercised the right to defend our people against such actions and have brought the organisers and perpetrators to justice. Until then, their speeches here will remain what they truly are — theatre, and nothing more.”