Who is supporting terrorism now?

For years, India enjoyed a considerable diplomatic advantage over Pakistan on the question of terrorism. New Delhi successfully persuaded much of the international community that Pakistan could not claim to oppose terrorism, while allegedly abetting armed groups operating against India.

Pakistan contributed to its own predicament. Islamabad remained unable to make a compelling case that the insurgency in Kashmir represented a legitimate struggle for self-determination that should be distinguished from terrorism. This was a vital distinction, given the heightened political and public sensitivity surrounding the term "terrorism" in the post-9/11 era.

Pakistan is now being presented with an opportunity to turn that debate around. Islamabad has repeatedly accused India of supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – organisations responsible for violence inside Pakistan. In February 2026, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations alleged that the TTP and BLA were operating from Afghan territory with the "active support of our eastern neighbour", a clear reference to India.

In its August 2026 report, the UN Security Council's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team also concluded that the Afghan Taliban authorities continued to support the TTP, contributing to an increase in the frequency and lethality of attacks in Pakistan. The report also documented operational and facilitation links between Al-Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K), the TTP and the BLA.

While Pakistan alleges that these linkages are facilitated by Indian sponsorship, the UN monitoring report does not independently substantiate that claim. Pakistan should therefore make establishing the nature and extent of any Indian involvement a priority for its intelligence agencies and diplomatic corps. Producing credible, independently verifiable evidence would strengthen Islamabad's case internationally.

The current regional and security environment makes prioritising this effort particularly urgent.

At the NDTV Defence Summit 2026 in New Delhi, India's political and military leaders once again focused on Pakistan and terrorism as major security concerns. Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth was among the senior military officials attending the summit. Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani said India was "not letting our guard down" and remained ready to respond "quickly, decisively" to threats from Pakistan. His remarks came a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described Pakistan at the UN General Assembly as a "serial practitioner of terrorism".

India is entitled to seek international support for holding those responsible for terrorist attacks against its citizens accountable. Pakistan, however, is equally entitled to call for international scrutiny of any external support provided to militant groups responsible for killing Pakistanis.

The answer is not another war of accusations. It is evidence.

Pakistan needs to present credible, independently verifiable evidence of Indian financing, training, communications or other material assistance to militant organisations before appropriate international forums. Establishing such links is difficult, given the challenges of verifying intelligence and tracing support networks, but it is not impossible.

Equally important, Islamabad must resist the temptation to exaggerate its claims or present intelligence assessments as established facts. One poorly substantiated allegation can undermine the credibility of several well-supported ones.

After decades of being asked to demonstrate its commitment to counterterrorism, Pakistan has every reason to demand the same international scrutiny of Indian support for militant organisations responsible for killing its citizens.