India rejects mediation, douses hopes of meaningful Kashmir talks

As Delhi hardens its stance on Kashmir and rules out third-party mediation, Islamabad must prepare for a long diplomatic and strategic standoff with the former

OPINION | May 16, 2025

By Nizamuddin Siddiqui

EVEN as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior military officials expressed satisfaction over the blistering and bruising response of our armed forces to recent Indian hostilities, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday rejected the notion that US President Donald Trump could mediate on various irritants between the two sides — particularly the longstanding dispute over Occupied Kashmir.

Jaishankar’s remarks — which curiously received limited coverage in the Pakistani media — went well beyond a mere dismissal of third-party involvement. For all intents and purposes, they appeared to remove the issue of Occupied Kashmir from the agenda of any potential negotiations altogether.

His comments coincided with fresh statements by President Trump, who has once again credited his administration with helping defuse last week’s confrontation between India and Pakistan. The US president is currently on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East and the Gulf.

“Let me be absolutely clear,” Jaishankar told reporters after inaugurating Honduras’s new embassy in New Delhi. “With regard to Pakistan, our engagement will be strictly bilateral. That has been India’s national consensus for years, and that position remains unchanged.”

He further asserted that any future dialogue with Islamabad would be confined to India’s concerns about “terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soil”. He added, “We are open to discussions with them on the issue of terrorism.”

According to an AFP report, the minister also stated that the Indus Waters Treaty would remain suspended until, as he alleged, “Pakistan ceases support for cross-border militancy”. At present, he said, the only issue India is prepared to discuss is “POK (or Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir)”.

Jaishankar’s comments appeared intended to extinguish any hopes in Islamabad that Delhi might be willing to re-engage on Kashmir under renewed international scrutiny — particularly with US involvement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had recently extended an invitation to his Indian counterpart for a composite dialogue addressing all outstanding issues.

In addition to rebuffing Pakistan’s outreach, the minister was also responding to domestic criticism from Indian analysts and opposition figures, who posed two pressing questions following the 10th May announcement of ceasefire: Why was the truce announced by President Trump rather than Prime Minister Narendra Modi? And why did Occupied Kashmir seem to reappear on the diplomatic radar?

An important question that begs an answer here is: What does Jaishankar’s statement mean for Pakistan? Well, he has simply confirmed this reporter’s worst fears. I, for one, had felt — even after the announcement of a truce by Trump himself — that any perception of a shift in India’s stance, or an openness to broader dialogue on Kashmir, could be premature. Since 2019 — the year when Delhi illegally annexed the disputed territory and revoked the limited autonomy it had been granted under the Indian constitution — India has encountered minimal international resistance. So, it has little incentive now to welcome external mediation or re-enter comprehensive talks on Occupied Kashmir.

The Indian minister’s terse message also highlights the need for Islamabad to proactively engage relevant international mechanisms — including the United Nations and the World Bank — to hold India accountable under the Indus Waters Treaty. The earlier Islamabad moves the relevant international forums in this regard, the better.

In view of the above submissions, my final message is this: tensions with India are far from resolved. As reported by Bloomberg and The Washington Post, the risk of another military confrontation — potentially dragging both nuclear-armed nations back to the brink — remains disturbingly real.

In this scenario, Pakistan’s armed forces would do well not to lower their guard anytime soon. Celebrating the heroism and bravery of our soldiers, airmen and seamen is fine — but maintaining vigilance so that the enemy gets no chance to inflict damage on us through deception, deceit, or treachery is far more important.