- Jaishankar says India will do “whatever it takes” to fight terrorism
- Calls Pakistan a “bad neighbour” for persistent terror support
- Links suspension of Indus Waters Treaty to continued cross-border terrorism
- Cites Operation Sindoor strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK
GG News Bureau
Chennai, 2nd Jan: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday described Pakistan as a “bad neighbour” and asserted that India has the full right to defend its citizens against terrorism, citing Operation Sindoor as a clear example of New Delhi’s resolve.
Addressing students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, Jaishankar said no external power could dictate how India chooses to protect itself. “When you have bad neighbours, and if a country decides that it will deliberately, persistently and unrepentantly continue with terrorism, we have a right to defend our people against terrorism. How we exercise that right is up to us,” he said.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar recalled that India last year targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. The attack was carried out by The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. India responded by striking multiple terror camps, killing over 100 terrorists, before Pakistan launched missile and drone attacks that were intercepted by Indian air defence systems.
The minister also spoke about the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, which was suspended after the Pahalgam attack. He said continued terrorism had eroded the spirit of neighbourliness required to sustain such agreements. “You can’t say ‘share water with me’ while continuing terrorism against me. That is not reconcilable,” he said.
Jaishankar added that India has many neighbours of different kinds and that New Delhi naturally seeks friendly relations where possible. However, he reiterated that goodwill cannot be expected from a country that continues to support cross-border terrorism.
He also remarked that much of India’s security challenges stem from the Pakistani army, underlining that New Delhi remains prepared to take decisive action to safeguard national security.
