India tells UN committee it will not yield to nuclear blackmail

India told the UN General Assembly's First Committee that nuclear weapons should not become routine tools of state policy. Diplomat Anmol Sher Singh Bedi delivered the October 9 response to Pakistan's remarks on Kashmir, The Hindu reported.

The senior disarmament adviser at India's mission to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva said his country sought peace and that its military capabilities were defensive. He described their development as a response to India's own security environment.

Bedi warned that reliance on nuclear threats to limit the consequences of activity below the threshold of open warfare increased the risk of escalation. He outlined three Indian principles: responding to terrorist attacks, refusing nuclear blackmail and treating the organisers and sponsors of terrorism alike.

He rejected Pakistan's position on Jammu and Kashmir, calling the territory an integral part of India and demanding the return of areas New Delhi considers illegally occupied. Those formulations represent India's position in the territorial dispute.

As context, Bedi cited India's military actions in May 2025 following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. Indian authorities described Operation Sindoor as retaliation for a terrorist attack. Bedi characterised the strikes as limited and intended to avoid escalation.

The speech also addressed the Indus Waters Treaty. Bedi said the agreement depended on trust and cooperation that could not be undermined while demanding its benefits remain intact. After the Pahalgam attack, India announced it was holding the treaty in abeyance, tying its restoration to Pakistan ending support for cross-border terrorism.

Bedi concluded by referring to the AQ Khan nuclear proliferation network and UN Security Council Resolution 1540. He urged governments and suppliers to exercise heightened caution when transferring nuclear technology, advanced weapons and military capabilities.