Old Clip of Pak PM's Speech on ‘Encountering’ Terrorists Shared With False Claim

Sharif did not say "our" terrorists in his old UNGA address on 26 September 2025.

A video showing Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif talking at a lectern bearing the logo of the United Nations (UN) is being widely shared on the internet amid the ongoing 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The claim: The clip is being shared with text which claims that while speaking at the ongoing session of the UNGA, Sharif said, "If we haven't controlled our terrorists, they would be roaming on the streets of New York or London.”

Who shared it?: Apart from social media users such as Rishi Bagree, the clip was also shared by ET Now, DNA, and Zee News English.

At the time of writing this report, Bagree's post had gathered over 28 lakh views.

(Archived versions of more posts sharing this claim can be seen here, here, and here.)

Is it true?: No, the claim is incorrect on two counts.

• Firstly, Sharif did not say "our" terrorists, as claimed.

• Additionally, the video dates back to 26 September 2025 and shows the 10th and 11th plenary sessions of the 80th UNGA.

How did we find out?: We looked for the video on the United Nations' verified YouTube channel.

• There, we found that Sharif's video was uploaded on 26 September 2025 with the title 'Pakistan - Prime Minister Addresses United Nations General Debate, 80th Session', making it clear that the video is not from the ongoing session.

• Sharif spoke about US President Donald Trump, crediting for mediating a crucial ceasefire and proposed a peaceful dialogue between India and Pakistan, strictly warning that violating the Indus Water Treaty would constitute an act of war.

• He also strongly condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. The prime minister then

• Around the 19-minute mark, Sharif emphasised Pakistan's massive human and economic sacrifices as a vital global bulwark against terrorism.

• He said that for over two decades, Pakistan was "at the front line of global counter-terrorism efforts," having lost over 90,000 people and suffering economic losses of around 150 billion US dollars.

• Sharif noted that these losses showed the nation's "commitment to fight terrorism and erase it not only from the face of Pakistan, but from the face of this global world."

"So I think unless and until terrorism is defeated hands down, this world will not be a peaceful place to live. And for that, Pakistan's sacrifices are probably the biggest around the globe, it must be respected and appreciated because we are a bulwark. Had these terrorists not been encountered by us, they would have been roaming on the streets of New York and London and God knows, far east."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the 80th United Nations General Assembly

• A keyword search for Sharif's address at the 80th UNGA led us to the transcript of the full plenary session on the United Nations' website, which was published on 26 September 2026.

• Here, too, it was clear that Sharif said "had these terrorists not been encountered by us," and not "our" terrorists.

Conclusion: An old video of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif talking about 'encountering' terrorists is being shared as a recent video of him calling them "our" terrorists.

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