NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday reiterated India’s stance on Pakistan, categorically stating that talks between the two nations could only take place regarding dismantling of terror infrastructure and vacating PoK. He further said that the Indus Waters Treaty would “continue to be held in abeyance until the cross-border terrorism” issue was resolved.Talking about cessation of military operations by both nations, Jaishankar said, “It is clear who wanted cessation of firing.”He also addressed ongoing talks with the US on a trade deal and said it “has to be mutually beneficial”.
What Jaishankar said on Pakistan’s terrorism
The EAM took a strong stance against Pakistan’s terror infrastructure and said the country had “a list of terrorists” that needed to be handed over.“Our relations and dealings with Pakistan will be strictly bilateral. That is a national consensus for years, and there is absolutely no change in that. The prime minister made it very clear that talks with Pakistan will be only on terror,” he said.“Pakistan has a list of terrorists that needs to be handed over, and they have to shut down the terrorists’ infrastructure. They know what to do. We are prepared to discuss with them what is to be done about terrorism. Those are the talks which are feasible,” he added.
What EAM said on Indus Waters Treaty
Jaishankar reiterated that the Treaty would remain “in abeyance” until the neighbouring nation took actions against “the cross-border terrorism”.“The Indus Waters Treaty is held in abeyance and will continue to be held in abeyance until the cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped… The only thing which remains to be discussed on Kashmir is the vacating of illegally occupied Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir; we are open to that discussion,” he said.This came after Pakistan signaled its willingness to discuss the treaty after New Delhi suspended it in retaliation to the Pahalgam attack that killed 25 Indians and one Nepalese citizen on April 22.
What Jaishankar said on trade talks with US
Jaishankar said that the tariff negotiation and trade talks with the States was ongoing and “any judgment on it would be premature”.“Between India and the US, trade talks have been going on. These are complicated negotiations. Nothing is decided till everything is. Any trade deal has to be mutually beneficial; it has to work for both countries. That would be our expectation from the trade deal. Until that is done, any judgment on it would be premature,” he said.This came after US President Donald Trump said that India had agreed to bring down tariffs to nothing. “They’ve offered us a deal where basically they’re willing to—literally—they charge us no tariff. We go from the highest tariff—you couldn’t do business in India, we’re not even in the top 30 in India because the tariff is so high—to a point where they have actually told us (I assume you too, Scott, you were working on that also) that there will be no tariff. Would you say that’s the difference? They were the highest, and now they’re saying no tariff,” he said.
