New Delhi– India reiterated on Thursday that dialogue with Pakistan cannot resume until Islamabad ends its support for cross-border terrorism, reaffirming its longstanding position that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand.
Speaking at a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said any engagement with Pakistan must be bilateral and conditional on the cessation of terrorist activity. “We have been very clear and consistent in our position regarding any engagement with Pakistan — that it has to be bilateral. At the same time, we are clear that talks and terror don’t go together,” Jaiswal stated.
He also emphasized that India remains open to discussions on the extradition of wanted terrorists, for whom a list was handed to Pakistan years ago. “On terrorism itself, we are open to discussing the handing over to India of noted terrorists,” he added.
On the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Jaiswal was unequivocal: “Any bilateral discussion on Jammu and Kashmir will only be about the vacation of illegally-occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.”
Jaiswal further stated that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a longstanding water-sharing agreement between the two nations, will remain suspended until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words, he said: “Terror and trade cannot go together; water and blood cannot flow together.”
The MEA’s firm response comes as Pakistan, following the impact of India’s recent Operation Sindoor, has signaled a sudden willingness to reopen dialogue. Since Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made multiple public overtures, expressing readiness to discuss water issues, trade, and even counter-terrorism.
During a press conference with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran, Sharif said, “We are ready to talk, for the sake of peace, on water issues with our neighbor… also to promote trade and counter-terrorism if they are serious.”
Sharif echoed similar sentiments during the Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit, saying: “We want peace in the region and that requires talks on issues which need urgent and amicable resolution. If India wants to talk on countering terrorism in sincerity, Pakistan would be willing.”
He even proposed Saudi Arabia as a neutral venue for such discussions, suggesting that the United States could mediate.
However, Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly dismissed the idea of dialogue under current conditions. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Bikaner last week, he declared, “If there is to be any talk, it will be on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). If Pakistan continues to export terrorists, it will be left begging for every penny. It will not get a single drop of Indian water.”
He also issued a stern warning: “Playing with the blood of Indians will cost Pakistan dearly.” (Source: IANS)
