Congress' Manish Tewari Questions Letter Urging India-Pakistan Dialogue Resumption

Congress MP Manish Tewari has questioned calls to resume dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying any renewed engagement must be preceded by verifiable action against terrorism. His remarks came in response to an appeal by 117 eminent personalities from both countries urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to restore diplomatic dialogue and reopen communication channels. Tewari argued that previous peace initiatives had repeatedly been undermined by terror attacks.

Speaking on the issue, Tewari questioned the purpose and timing of restarting talks, asking what meaningful progress could be achieved without Pakistan first dismantling what he described as its terror infrastructure. He said successive Indian governments, irrespective of political affiliation, had attempted to engage with Pakistan through formal dialogue and backchannel diplomacy, but those efforts had repeatedly been followed by acts of terrorism.

The Congress leader referred to previous commitments made by Pakistan to curb terrorism, including assurances given during the tenure of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. According to Tewari, such commitments were either withdrawn or not fully implemented, resulting in a continued trust deficit. He maintained that any future engagement should be based on credible and verifiable guarantees rather than assurances alone.

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Tewari also cited the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025, saying it reinforced India's long-standing concerns regarding cross-border terrorism. Referring to the Indian government's subsequent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, he said New Delhi's position had become even clearer after the attack. He reiterated that terrorism and dialogue could not proceed simultaneously and argued that India should not distinguish between perpetrators of attacks and those who allegedly support them.

Questioning the appeal made by the group of 117 signatories, Tewari acknowledged that many of them may have acted with good intentions but urged them to consider the history of India-Pakistan relations over the past several decades. He said the central issue remained whether Pakistan had demonstrated a sustained commitment to ending support for terrorism, adding that this question must be answered before any diplomatic engagement resumes.

While emphasising that lasting peace is in the interest of the nearly two billion people living in South Asia, Tewari said meaningful dialogue requires an environment free from the threat of terrorism. He concluded that India must first receive clear and verifiable evidence that Pakistan has dismantled its terror infrastructure before considering the restoration of formal talks, maintaining that national security should remain the foremost priority.

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