Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday ruled out discussing any other issue but terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with its western neighbour.
"India is clear: terror and talk and terror and trade cannot happen together. In the same way, water and blood cannot flow at the same time. If talks with Pakistan happen, it will only be about terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," Modi said in his first televised address to the nation after Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan illegally occupied parts of western Jammu and Kashmir and the Gilgit-Baltistan region after the 1948 war. India has always maintained that these areas are part of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of its sovereign territory.
The "water and blood" statement refers to India putting the 1960 Indus Water Treaty into abeyance part of its initial response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. New Delhi wants to renegotiate the water-sharing pact for the Indus river system, something that Pakistan has opposed.
Modi also slammed the Pakistani government's and military's policy of sheltering terrorist groups and warned that harbouring terrorists will one day destroy the country itself. "If Pakistan wants to save itself, it must end supporting terror."
Through Operation Sindoor, India has demonstrated its capabilities and conviction in fighting terrorism. "If India faces terror attacks, we will respond on our terms. We will not differentiate between terrorism and governments supporting terrorism," Modi said.
He also called out Pakistan's "nuclear blackmail", saying such threats can no longer be used as a cover for promoting terrorism.
"We have always defeated Pakistan in previous wars. We have shown our capabilities in the desert and in the snow. There will be zero tolerance against terrorism," Modi said.
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