Following the Pahalgam massacre on April 22, in which 26 civilians—mostly Hindu tourists—were gunned down by terrorists reportedly linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, UN Secretary General António Guterres issued a familiar call for “maximum restraint” between India and Pakistan.
This type of statement closely mirrors what he said after the 2019 Pulwama-Balakot escalation, and once again did not explicitly name Pakistan or Islamist terrorism—a move that has angered Indian officials and observers.
Critics also highlight Guterres’s prior remarks:
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After Article 370 abrogation (2019) – Guterres questioned India’s actions citing the Simla Agreement.
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On the CAA (2020) – He voiced concerns about “statelessness” for Muslims in India, despite the law targeting citizenship for persecuted minorities from outside India.
A photo of Guterres with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir has resurfaced online, fueling accusations of bias.
In response, the Indian government is reportedly ignoring the UN’s “preachy” advice and is instead focused on punitive measures against Pakistan for orchestrating the attack. PM Narendra Modi has held security meetings to assess retaliation strategies and ensure such attacks are deterred.
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The UN’s moral equivalence between a sovereign state (India) and a terror-sponsoring entity (Pakistan) is being widely criticized.
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Lack of direct condemnation of religious targeting and terrorism undermines India’s position at international forums.
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It reinforces India’s long-standing criticism of the UN’s ineffectiveness on issues of cross-border terror.
