Global embarrassment for Pakistan: UN launches probe into slogans during PM Shehbaz Sharif’s speech

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 26, 2025. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

Embarrassment seems to follow Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif wherever he goes. The latest episode is an unusual incident during his recent speech at the UN General Assembly, which is now being investigated by the UN security officials. The disruption has raised serious questions about Pakistan’s ability to maintain decorum in one of the world’s most formal diplomatic settings.

According to The News International, the disturbance took place when a visitor in the gallery, reportedly a supporter of Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), shouted, “Long live Shehbaz Sharif” as the Prime Minister delivered his speech. The address was being broadcast live on UN Web TV and was viewed across multiple countries in real time.

A Pakistani mission official reportedly instructed the gallery to stop the chanting, while UN security personnel quickly intervened to restore order. Access to the UN visitors’ gallery is strictly controlled and generally requires passes issued through a member state’s diplomatic mission.

UN officials have now launched an investigation to determine how the individual gained entry and why slogans rooted in Pakistan’s domestic politics were voiced inside the assembly hall.

The incident starkly violated UN traditions. Applause is customary, while silent walkouts are the accepted form of protest. For context, several countries staged a quiet walkout during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address just minutes earlier and returned without causing disruption to hear Sharif speak.

Political interruptions in the UN gallery are rare. During the tenure of Pakistan’s former President General Zia-ul-Haq, opposition figures used the visitors’ gallery to voice slogans against military rule and in favour of democracy. Sharif’s incident, however, reflects poorly on Pakistan’s current leadership and highlights the blurred lines between domestic politics and international diplomacy.

In his speech heavy on self-praise but light on facts, Sharif tried to paint his country as a victim of “external aggression” while boasting of what he called a “bloody nose” delivered to India. He claimed Pakistan had repelled an unprovoked Indian attack and shot down seven Indian fighter jets -- assertions that remain completely unverified and dismissed by Indian officials as propaganda.

The most striking was his effusive praise for US President Donald Trump, whom he credited for “helping broker a timely ceasefire” to prevent a wider South Asian war. This public flattery stood in contrast to Pakistan’s long record of harbouring terrorists, the very factor India blames for the Pahalgam attack.