India calls out Pakistan for supporting cross-border drone weapons trafficking

India has made a veiled attack on Pakistan, urging the international community to condemn the cross-border supply of illicit weapons using drones. During the United Nations Security Council’s Open Debate on “Threats to International Peace and Security: Risks Stemming from Violations of Agreements Regulating the Exports of Weapons and Military Equipments,” India’s Permanent Representative, Ruchira Kamboj, highlighted the serious challenge that India is facing due to the cross-border supply of illicit weapons using drones. She stated that this cannot be possible without active support from the authorities in control of those territories. Kamboj called on the international community to condemn such behaviour and hold states accountable for their misdeeds.

According to officials, Indian security forces guarding the international border in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed several attempts to infringe on Indian airspace using drones originating in Pakistan, which carry weapons and arms. Kamboj emphasized that the transfer and illegal diversion of arms, including conventional arms and ammunitions, Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), their delivery systems and related materials, to non-state actors, including armed and terrorist groups, pose a threat to international peace and security.

Kamboj noted that India has undertaken robust national efforts to address conventional ammunition management, with longstanding commitment to global non-proliferation. India has established a strong legal and regulatory system to implement the provisions of Resolution 1540 and other international obligations. She stressed that the export of weapons and military equipment in violation of international law exacerbates geopolitical tensions and cannot be ignored.

Kamboj further stated that the threats multiply when certain states with dubious proliferation credentials collude with terrorists and other non-state actors. She highlighted that the rise in the volume and quality of small arms acquired by terrorist organizations reminds us that they cannot exist without the sponsorship or support of states. India has consistently stressed the importance of addressing the rapid evolution of proliferation risks due to new and emerging technologies, particularly access to WMDs, equipment, and technology by terrorist groups and other non-state actors.