'Talks only on PoK...': India's MEA reiterates its clear message to Pakistan, demands list of terrorists from Islamabad

Amid tensions between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday (May 29) said that there have been ‘no change on stand with Pakistan’.

In its weekly briefing, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "India's stand on ceasefire was made clear on May 17. Pakistan must end terror. Terrorism and talks can't go together."

"As far as our engagement with Pakistan is concerned, our stand has been clear. Any engagement has to be bilateral. We would like to reiterate that terrorism and talks cannot go together. They need to hand over to India, noted terrorists, whose records and list we submitted to them some years ago. Talks on J&K will be held only on the vacating of PoK and when Pakistan hands over the territory to us," he further added.

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Speaking about the Indus Water Treaty, Jaiswal said, "As far as the Indus Water Treaty is concerned, it will remain in abeyance till the time Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support to cross-border terrorism. Just like PM Narendra Modi says, terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together."

The MEA spokesperson also gave an update regarding the three Indian nationals who went missing in Iran. He said, “The three Indian nationals who had landed in Tehran, Iran, some time back, are missing. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities for locating them, their safety and security, and their eventual return home. We are receiving good cooperation from the Iranian side and we are also in touch with the families of the missing people. We are extending all possible help.”