Who Is Petal Gahlot?
India’s young diplomat Petal Gahlot made global headlines on Friday after she delivered a sharp and uncompromising response to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Sharif, in his address earlier in the day, had once again raised Kashmir and accused India of aggression, even referring to Operation Sindoor, the military conflict that shook ties between the two countries earlier this year. His remarks prompted India to exercise its right of reply – and Gahlot was the one who took the floor.
“If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangers look like victory to Pakistani PM, then Pakistan is free to enjoy it” – Indian Diplomat Petal Gehlot at UNGA 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/DM8UUeCEOA
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) September 27, 2025
Gahlot accused Sharif of engaging in “absurd theatrics” and “once again glorifying terrorism that is so central to Pakistan’s foreign policy.” She declared that “no degree of drama” and “no level of lies” could hide the truth of Pakistan’s track record of supporting terrorism.
Referring to Indian strikes on terrorist bases in Bahawalpur and Muridke, she pointed out that senior Pakistani officials had themselves paid homage to the terrorists killed there. “Can there be any doubt about the proclivities of this regime?” she asked, drawing attention to what India sees as Pakistan’s continued patronage of extremist groups.
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She also reminded the assembly that until May 9, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India, but on May 10, “the same military pleaded with us directly for cessation to the fighting.” This, she argued, exposed the hollowness of Sharif’s “bizarre account” of India-Pakistan hostilities.
The strong rebuttal signalled India’s refusal to let Pakistan’s claims go unanswered on the world stage. It also highlighted how the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism remain flashpoints in India-Pakistan relations, often spilling over into the UNGA every year.
Petal Gahlot is First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, a role she has held since July 2023. Before this, she worked for three years in the Ministry of External Affairs in the European West Division, and also served at Indian missions in Paris and San Francisco.
An alumna of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, she studied political science, sociology, and French literature. She later earned a master’s in political science and government from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, and another in language interpretation and translation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey (USA).
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Outside diplomacy, she has a creative side – Gahlot is a passionate musician who shares her guitar renditions on social media, including popular covers of Bella Ciao and Lost on You by LP.
As I always like to do to celebrate International Day of #Francophonie, here is a short fusion of La Vie En Rose 🩷@OIFrancophonie pic.twitter.com/bUzXG87rC2
— Petal Gahlot (@petal_gahlot) March 20, 2025
