Reiterating India’s unequivocal stance on Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry of External Affairs has declared that India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir – the return of territory illegally occupied by Pakistan – has not changed. This assertion reaffirms Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks made just 24 hours earlier.
During a regular media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s diplomatic doctrine on the matter, stating that India has a “long-standing national position (on J&K) … that issues pertaining to the Union Territory have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally”. He emphasised, “this has not changed.”
He further clarified India’s core demand, in response to a query regarding recent mediation offers: “And, as you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied territory by Pakistan.”
The Prime Minister, in his first address to the nation since Operation Sindoor—India’s calibrated military response to the Pahalgam terror strike—was unambiguous: there could be no talks over Kashmir, except over dismantling Pak’s terrorist infrastructure and returning Pak-occupied Kashmir.
“If we ever talk to Pakistan, it will be on terror and PoK only,” the PM declared, delivering a firm message to Islamabad and the international community about the parameters of any future engagement.
Reiterating the policy line of his predecessors, the Prime Minister added, “Terror and talks can’t go together… terror and trade can’t happen together… terror and water can’t flow together.” The last point referenced the suspended Indus Waters Treaty and speculation that Pakistan sought its revival as part of backchannel efforts to secure a ceasefire.
The Prime Minister also placed Pakistan and its terror proxies on direct notice, stressing a doctrinal shift in India’s counter-terrorism posture. He warned that India would launch formidable counterattacks in the event of any repetition of incidents like Pahalgam, where 26 people—mostly civilians—were killed by operatives linked to the Pak-based Lashkar group.
Over the years, India has made it unequivocally clear that there can be no discussion with Pakistan, except to return stolen territory, and that such talks must be exclusively bilateral. However, persistent efforts from Pakistan to internationalise the issue have occasionally found receptive audiences overseas.
Among these was US President Donald Trump, who has twice offered to mediate the Kashmir dispute. His most recent intervention came just 48 hours earlier, in a typical staccato social media post in which he took credit for facilitating a ceasefire and declared he would “work with you both to see if, after a thousand years, a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.”
While this offer found favour in Islamabad, it was predictably rejected by New Delhi. In fact, a similar overture in 2019 had also been firmly dismissed by India, when Trump sensationally claimed that Prime Minister Modi had personally requested he mediate an end to the Kashmir issue.
At the time, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal made it clear that no such request had been made and reiterated that all issues with Pak must be discussed bilaterally. That categorical rebuttal prompted a recalibration from Washington, with the US State Department acknowledging that Kashmir is a bilateral issue concerning Islamabad and New Delhi, and that Washington is only “ready to assist.”
Despite periodic efforts to insert third-party actors into the equation, India’s strategic calculus remains unchanged: any resolution must emerge solely through bilateral dialogue, and the return of illegally occupied territory is the non-negotiable bottom line.
Also Read: Armed Forces Will Enter The Homes Of Terrorists And Strike, says PM Modi https://www.vibesofindia.com/armed-forces-will-enter-the-homes-of-terrorists-and-strike-says-pm-modi/
