The United Nations Security Council is no stranger to fiery exchanges. But rarely does the chamber echo with the kind of blunt accusation delivered this week: Pakistan, long shielded by diplomatic ambiguity, was openly branded a state sponsor of terrorism.
The charge came first from Israel’s ambassador, Danny Danon, and then in a viral four-second intervention by human rights lawyer Hillel Neuer. Together, they punctured the narrative Islamabad has relied upon for decades — that it is both victim of terror and a frontline partner in fighting it.
Israel’s Direct Accusation
Israel was facing criticism over its strike on Hamas leaders in Doha. Instead of limiting his defense to the narrow question of legality, Danon chose to widen the lens and turn the spotlight on Pakistan’s own record.
“When bin Laden was eliminated in Pakistan,” Danon declared, “the question asked was not, ‘Why target a terrorist on foreign soil?’ … The question was, ‘Why was a terrorist given shelter at all?’”
It was a reminder the world could not ignore. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, lived quietly in Abbottabad, within sight of a military academy, until U.S. special forces killed him in 2011.
Danon drove the point further: “There was no immunity for bin Laden. And there can be no immunity for Hamas.”
The comparison was unmistakable. Just as Washington struck a terrorist leader on Pakistani soil, Israel argued it had every right to eliminate Hamas operatives abroad.
The Four-Second Roast
If Danon’s remarks reopened an old wound, Neuer’s statement left it raw.
The Geneva-based lawyer, known for confronting authoritarian governments at the UN, was speaking about Qatar’s role in harboring Hamas when Pakistan’s delegate demanded that his microphone be cut off. For a moment, it seemed like his comments would be lost to procedure.
When his mic came back, Neuer wasted no time.
“Mr President, Pakistan is another state sponsor of terror.”
Today at the U.N. I asked Qatar: “If you don’t want targeted bombings on terrorists in your capital, why do you harbor terrorists in your capital? Why is your Al Jazeera serving as Hamas' non-stop propaganda arm? Why do you act as mediator by day, and a terror sponsor by night?” https://t.co/xi2EZlC5B7 pic.twitter.com/tTghv5JK4U
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 10, 2025
It took four seconds. The line went viral almost instantly, resonating well beyond the chamber. In the clipped precision of that one sentence, Pakistan’s carefully constructed defenses collapsed.
A Long Record in the Shadows
The accusations at the UN did not spring from thin air. Pakistan’s history with terrorism is long and well documented:
- Bin Laden’s sanctuary: A global terrorist hiding undisturbed in Abbottabad remains the most damning example of Pakistan’s duplicity.
- Lashkar-e-Taiba: The group behind the 2008 Mumbai massacre trained and thrived on Pakistani soil.
- The Taliban: For decades, Pakistan’s intelligence services have been accused of giving them safe havens to exert influence in Afghanistan.
- Cross-border militancy: From Kashmir to Kabul, proxy warfare and infiltration have been tools of Pakistani statecraft.
These aren’t fringe allegations. They are part of the public record, acknowledged in intelligence assessments, court findings, and countless investigative reports. What happened this week at the UN was different only in one respect: the pretense was dropped.
The End of Diplomatic Ambiguity
For years, Pakistan balanced on a thin line, taking Western aid in the name of counter-terrorism while quietly enabling militant networks it considered useful. That balancing act depended on silence in international forums.
But words matter in diplomacy. Once a country is branded a terror sponsor in the chamber of the United Nations, the stigma is lasting. It becomes part of the global vocabulary. It sticks.
Why This Moment Matters
Israel’s remarks and Neuer’s blunt mic-drop reframed the discussion. This was not only about the legality of one Israeli strike. It was about the double standards that have allowed Pakistan to pose as a counterterrorism ally while its soil sheltered and nurtured extremists.
The Abbottabad raid was not an isolated incident but a symbol of a deeper truth: Pakistan has lived a double life. At the UN, for the first time in years, that truth was spoken aloud without hesitation.
The Bottom Line
In a chamber defined by caution, Pakistan was branded a terror state. Danon reminded the world that bin Laden’s sanctuary was no accident. Neuer sealed the point with a four-second line that left no room for ambiguity.
The charge is now on record, public, and impossible to roll back. For Pakistan, the era of hiding behind victimhood narratives and half-truths may be over. The world has been reminded and this time, it was said aloud.
