New Delhi: India’s relations and dealings with Pakistan will be “strictly bilateral”, which is a national consensus for many years and there is “absolutely no change” in that consensus, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.
Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of an event here, he also said that the Indus Waters Treaty will continue to be held in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” stops its support for cross-border terrorism.
Jaishankar said the UN Security Council had underlined the need to hold the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack accountable, and on May 7 morning, “we held them accountable through the Operation Sindoor”.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure early on May 7 following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Pakistani actions were strongly responded to by the Indian side.
The hostilities ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both sides on May 10.
“To me things are fairly clear. So, let me take this opportunity to spell out our position. One, where Pakistan is concerned, our relations, our dealings with them will be bilateral, and strictly bilateral.
“That is a national consensus for many years, and there is absolutely no change in that consensus that dealings with Pakistan will be bilateral,” Jaishankar said.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it “very clear” that any talks with Pakistan will be only on terrorism.
“…Pakistan has a list of terrorists, who need to be handed over. They have to shut down terrorist infrastructure, they know what to do,” the external affairs minister said.
Jaishankar said New Delhi is “prepared to discuss” with Islamabad what is to be done on terrorism, adding those are the talks that are “feasible”.
The external affairs minister was talking to reporters after the opening of an embassy of Honduras here. He was also asked about the Indus Waters Treaty, and the understanding reached on May 10 on stopping the military actions.
“Water issues have been raised. I re-emphasise, the Cabinet Committee on Security was very clear that the Indus Waters Treaty is held in abeyance and will continue to be held in abeyance” until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” stops its support for cross-border terrorism, he said.
“So, sometimes, the Kashmir issue has been brought up. Again, the only thing that remains to be discussed on Kashmir is vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, we are open to discuss it with Pakistan. I want to spell out our position very clearly…the government’s position is very, very clear,” he said.
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), brokered by the World Bank, has governed the distribution and use of the water of the Indus river and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.
A day after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan including suspension of the IWT.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday said that India will keep the IWT in abeyance until Pakistan abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
Sources indicated that Pakistan has signalled its willingness to discuss New Delhi’s long-standing concerns about the treaty.
Jaishankar also responded to a query on understanding reached between India and Pakistan on May 10 on stopping the military actions.
Shortly before Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had made the announcement on May 10 that the DGMOs of India and Pakistan have agreed to stop all firings and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 5 pm on that day, US President Donald Trump said India and Pakistan have agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire, and claimed that it was a result of the US-mediated talks.
Jaishankar on Thursday told reporters, “What you call ceasefire, we call cessation of firing and military action. We achieved the goals which we set out to do by destroying the terrorist infrastructure in Bahawalpur and Muridke, Muzaffarabad and other places.”
“After that…since the key goals were achieved, I think we reasonably took the position, because even at the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan, saying we are striking at terrorist infrastructure, we are not striking at the military, so the military has an option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take that good advice,” he said.
Once they got “hit as badly as they did” on the morning of May 10, and all of you have seen today the satellite pictures which actually bring out the “very graphically how much damage we did”, the external affairs minister said, adding, “by the way, the satellite pictures also bring out how little damage they did”.
“So, these pictures will tell you what a hit they took, and the same people who were not willing to stand down on May 7, were willing to talk and stand down on May 10. It is very clear who wanted the cessation of firing,” he said.
On the opening of the new embassy, Jaishankar said for India, it is very good that there is a new embassy here of a county in the CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) group.
“Honduras is a country where business is growing, they are politically supportive of us. They were one of the countries which expressed strong solidarity when it came to the Pahalgam attack, so I appreciated it very much,” he said.
