Taking aim at Pakistan, Jaishankar linked terrorism to bilateral obligations, saying water-sharing under the IWT depends on good neighbourly conduct, not decades of violence
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“If a country chooses to continue with terrorism, India has every right to defend its people and will exercise that right.” – Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister
Chennai
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday strongly criticised Pakistan, calling it a “bad neighbour” that has consistently pursued terrorism as a state policy, and reaffirmed India’s sovereign right to safeguard its people. Speaking to students at IIT Madras, Jaishankar emphasised that India alone will determine its response to security threats and will not accept directives from external powers. He noted that sustained cross-border terrorism undermines the foundation of bilateral cooperation.
Referring to India’s western neighbour, he said India faces the added challenge of Pakistan’s “deliberate, persistent, and unrepentant” use of terror. “If a country chooses to continue with terrorism, India has every right to defend its people, and we will exercise that right,” Jaishankar stated. He highlighted India’s Operation Sindoor, conducted after the April terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam attributed to The Resistance Front, a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Jaishankar also linked terrorism to broader bilateral obligations, particularly the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which India suspended after the Pahalgam attack. He stressed that agreements like water-sharing depend on good-neighbourly conduct, which cannot coexist with decades of violence. “You cannot seek the benefits of cooperation while continuing acts of terror. That is not reconcilable,” he said, contrasting India’s support for non-hostile neighbours. He further pointed to the Pakistani military establishment’s role in perpetuating India’s long-standing challenges, implicitly referencing Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
India’s global respect through communication
Beyond regional security, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted the crucial role of transparent communication in foreign policy to avoid misinterpretation of India’s actions internationally. “The way to prevent being misread is by communicating clearly, honestly, and effectively. When you do that, other nations respect it,” he said during a fireside discussion.