22 hours ago
Last Updated:May 29, 2025, 16:49 IST
Randhir Jaiswal made this statement after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said he was "ready to talk" with India
PM Modi has said Indus Waters Treaty will remain on pause till Pakistan takes credible and verifiable action against terrorism on its soil. (PTI)
India on Thursday said that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably" ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the statement following remarks by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had said he was “ready to talk" with India about the Indus Waters.
“As far as the Indus Water Treaty is concerned, it will remain in abeyance till the time Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support to cross-border terrorism," Jaiswal said during a press briefing in New Delhi.
The MEA spokesman emphasised that any engagement with Pakistan must be bilateral and insisted that terrorism and talks cannot happen simultaneously. “As far as our engagement with Pakistan is concerned, our stand has been clear. Any engagement has to be bilateral," he said.
#WATCH | Delhi: MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “… As far as our engagement with Pakistan is concerned, our stand has been clear. Any engagement has to be bilateral. We would like to reiterate that terrorism and talks cannot go together. They need to hand over to India,… pic.twitter.com/ew2AKiTHZ9— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2025
Jaiswal also called for Pakistan to hand over terrorists on a previously submitted list and said discussions on Jammu and Kashmir will only take place once Pakistan vacates Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and returns the territory to India.
“They need to hand over to India, noted terrorists, whose records and list we submitted to them some years ago. Talks on J&K will be held only on the vacating of PoK and when Pakistan hands over the territory to us, " Jaiswal stated.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added, “terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together."
‘Ready To Talk To India’: Sharif
On Monday, during a visit to Iran, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Islamabad was open to talks with India to resolve “longstanding issues," including water security and Kashmir.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Tehran alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif said Pakistan was ready for dialogue “to find solutions to problems, including Kashmir."
ALSO READ: Pakistan’s Water Woes Prompt Shehbaz To Push For Dialogue: ‘Ready To Talk To India’
Location : First Published:News india Indus Waters Treaty On Hold Till Pakistan Stops Supporting Cross-Border Terrorism: MEA
