India Rejects Pakistan’s Appeal for Reconsideration on Suspension of Indus Water Treaty
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 15: Firmly rejecting Pakistan’s appeal for reconsideration on the Indus Water Treaty, the external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday recalled what the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said on the issue and maintained that IWT would remain in abeyance till Pakistan took credible steps to end cross-border terrorism.
“Terrorism would be the only topic of discussion during India-Pakistan bilateral talks post the ceasefire,” Mr Jaishankar asserted while talking to media persons after attending a ceremony for the inauguration of the embassy of Honduras.
Speaking on “Operation Sindoor,” Mr Jaishankar said Mr Modi had made it clear that any dialogue with Pakistan would be limited to the issue of terrorism. “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 on terrorism. Those are the talks which are feasible,” he said.
He added that India’s relations and dealings with Pakistan will be “strictly bilateral,” which has been a national consensus for many years and there is “absolutely no change” in that consensus. On the Kashmir issue, he said, “The only thing that remains to be discussed on Kashmir is vacating of illegally occupied Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, we are open to discuss it with Pakistan.”
He also said the Indus Waters Treaty was in abeyance and would continue to be until “cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped.” Pakistan, vast swathes of which are dependent on the waters of Indus both for agriculture and drinking, has written to the Jal Shakti ministry asking that India reconsider the matter. India had cut off the water supply after the horrific attack on tourists in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. Invoking its national security prerogative, India said the treaty would be on freeze until Islamabad ends its support for terrorism.
Mr Jaishankar said it was clear that who had called for a ceasefire. His comments came amid a huge controversy over US President Donald Trump’s claims that US had brokered peace between the two countries. He said the precision strikes on terror bases on May 7 – a retaliation for the Pahalgam attack – was directed only at terrorists and not the Pakistan military. “We were not striking at the Pakistani military so the military had an option of standing out and not interfering. But they chose not to take good advice,” Mr Jaishankar said.
“Satellite pictures brought out graphically how much damage we did… and how little damage they did. The same people who were not willing to stand down on May 7, were willing to stand down and talk on May 10. So it was clear who wanted the cessation of firing,” he said. Then, without mentioning President Trump’s claim that ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved with the promise of trade, Mr Jaishankar said, “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 added.
New Delhi’s stance has always been to refuse third party mediation when it comes to contentious issues with Pakistan, especially Kashmir. President Trump’s announcement sparked a huge controversy, with the Congress questioning if the US claims were correct. The government, without mentioning President Trump, has maintained that the ceasefire proposals had come from Islamabad.
