 "Petal Gahlot accused Pakistan of 'glorifying terrorism'. Image Courtesy: LinkedIn")
India has called out Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), dismissing them as “absurd theatrics”. Indian diplomat Petal Gahlot accused Islamabad of “glorifying terrorism" and reiterated that the rival nation had “pleaded” for a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor in May.
Gahlot’s comments on Friday (September 26) came after Sharif, in his address to the General Debate of the 80th session of the UNGA, credited United States President Donald Trump for averting a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
As Gahlot makes headlines back home for her sharp retort to Pakistan, we take a look at who she is.
Who is Petal Gahlot?
Petal Gahlot is First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN. Besides being a career diplomat, she is a self-proclaimed interpreter and translator.
Born in New Delhi, Gahlot studied political science at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. She went on to earn her master’s degree at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, as per News18.
Gahlot joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 2015, which kick-started her diplomatic career. She worked as Under Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the European West Division from 2020 to 2023, according to SheThePeople.
She was appointed as the third and second secretary at the Embassy of India in Paris, and as Consul at the Consulate General of India in San Francisco.
The young diplomat later moved to the UN, keeping India’s voice on the global stage.
Gahlot also has a creative side and often posts videos of her guitar covers of popular songs on social media. Her talent first gained attention on X with her cover of the iconic Italian song “Bella Ciao”.
What Pakistan PM said at UN
Addressing the UN on Friday, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said his country faced “unprovoked aggression” by India earlier this year, referring to Operation Sindoor.
He claimed Pakistan shot down “seven of the Indian jets” during the four-day conflict in May.
“Pakistan stands ready for a composite, comprehensive and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues. South Asia requires proactive rather than provocative leadership,” Sharif said in his speech to the UN General Assembly.
Sharif called Trump’s leadership “bold and visionary,” crediting him for stopping the hostilites between India and Pakistan.
“Had Trump not intervened in a timely way and decisively, the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic,” he said.
“In recognition of President Trump’s wonderful and outstanding contribution to promote peace in our part of the world, Pakistan nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the least we could do… I think he truly is a man of peace,” he said.
The Pakistan PM’s remarks at the UN came a day after he met the US president at the White House alongside Pakistani Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir .
Sharif also referred to India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it “an act of war”.
He also raised the issue of Kashmir in his address, saying the people of Pakistan stand with the people of Kashmir and “Kashmir will gain its fundamental right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices" of the United Nations.
How Indian diplomat took on Pak PM
Petal Gahlot hit out at Sharif’s UN address, emphasising that terrorism is “central to their (Pakistan’s) foreign policy.”
Delivering India’s right of reply, she reminded that at the UN Security Council on April 25, Pakistan “shielded The Resistance Front – a Pakistani-sponsored terror outfit” from responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack.
“No degree of drama and no level of lies can conceal the facts. This is the very same Pakistan which, at the UN Security Council on 25 April 2025, shielded ‘The Resistance Front’, a Pakistani-sponsored terror outfit, from the responsibility of carrying out the barbaric massacre of tourists in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
Gahlot called Pakistan a country “long steeped in the tradition of deploying and exporting terrorism” and when the South Asian country “sheltered Osama bin Laden for a decade, even while pretending to partner in the war against terrorism.”
Reaffirming India’s position of resolving issues with Pakistan bilaterally, she said that left “no room for any third party.”
“India and Pakistan have long agreed that any outstanding issue between them will be addressed bilaterally. There is no room for any third party in that regard. This is our longstanding national position,” Gahlot said.
She also underlined India’s zero-tolerance towards terrorism, saying: “The truth is that, as in the past, Pakistan is responsible for a terrorist attack on innocent civilians in India. We have exercised the right to defend our people against such actions and have brought the organisers and perpetrators to justice.”
The Indian diplomat warned Pakistan that India would hold both militants and their sponsors accountable without yielding to “nuclear blackmail.”
Responding to Pakistan PM’s desire for peace with India, Gahlot said, “If he is indeed sincere, the pathway is clear. Pakistan must immediately shut down all terrorist camps and hand over to us the terrorists wanted in India.”
With inputs from agencies