Pakistan military pleaded for end to fighting on May 10: India tells UNSC on Operation Sindoor

"Let me reiterate again that terrorism can never be normalised, as Pakistan wishes to do," he said, reported IANS.

Operation Sindoor consistent with UNSC stand against terrorism

Emphasising that Operation Sindoor was consistent with the Security Council’s stand against terrorism, Harish outlined the sequence of events that led to the conclusion of the operation, which inflicted significant damage on Pakistan’s air force, reported IANS.

"Until May 9, Pakistan was threatening further attacks on India. However, on May 10, the Pakistani military contacted our military directly and pleaded for a cessation of hostilities," he said, reported IANS.

He added that the impact of India’s operation was evident, noting that images showing damage to multiple Pakistani air bases, including destroyed runways and burnt hangars, were publicly available.

India’s response to Pahalgam attack termed measured and responsible

Harish said India’s response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in which tourists were targeted, was measured and responsible.

The Resistance Front, an affiliate of Lashkar-e-Taiba—designated a terrorist organisation by India and the United States—had claimed responsibility for the religion-based attack that killed 26 people.

India rejects claims of external mediation and escalation

Explaining the rationale behind Operation Sindoor, Harish said India acted in line with the Security Council’s call to hold "the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and brought to justice", reported IANS.

"India’s actions were measured, non-escalatory, responsible, and focused on dismantling terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorism," he said, reported IANS.

Harish did not directly name US President Donald Trump, who has claimed credit for ending the conflict through diplomacy and threats of tariffs, and has also sought recognition in the form of a Nobel Peace Prize.

India rebuts Pakistan’s assertions on Kashmir and Indus Waters Treaty

During the Security Council’s open debate on "Reaffirming international rule of law", Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad raised Operation Sindoor, describing it as an "unprovoked military aggression", reported IANS.

Ahmad also referred to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and presented Pakistan’s version of developments in Kashmir.

Rejecting Pakistan’s assertions, Harish said, "The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India", reported IANS.

On the Indus Waters Treaty, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi suspended following the Pahalgam attack, Harish said India was compelled to place the agreement in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border and all other forms of terrorism”.

Criticising Islamabad’s practice of raising Kashmir and other bilateral issues at UN forums irrespective of the agenda, Harish said, "This hallowed chamber cannot become a forum for Pakistan to legitimise terrorism", reported IANS.

Responding to Ahmad’s remarks on the rule of law, Harish urged Pakistan to engage in introspection, saying it could begin by examining how its armed forces engineered a constitutional coup through the 27th Amendment, granting lifetime immunity to the chief of defence forces.

The 27th Amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution, adopted in November, has been widely seen as entrenching the supremacy of the military.

(With inputs from IANS)

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