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Randhir Jaiswal made this statement after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said he was “ready to talk” with India
Water flows on the banks of Chenab River with the Baglihar hydroelectric project in the background, about 155 km (96 miles) northwest of Jammu, the winter capital of the troubled northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, October 2, 2005. World Bank-appointed observer Raymond Lefitte, who is visiting the site on Sunday, voiced optimism that the row over the Baglihar hydroelectric project, a project Islamabad opposes, will be sorted out, media reports said. Pakistan has raised objections over the height of the dam and said it violates the Indus Water Treaty. India says there is no substance in Pakistan’s objections. REUTERS/Amit Gupta
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.”
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