India on Friday reiterated that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan will remain in abeyance until Islamabad takes credible and irreversible steps to end its support for cross-border terrorism. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said there has been no change in New Delhi’s position on the decades-old water-sharing agreement.

Addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India’s position on the treaty remains consistent. He said the decision to keep the IWT in abeyance is linked to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism and added that the treaty’s status would remain unchanged until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abandons support for such activities.

The remarks came a day after India and Japan issued a joint statement strongly condemning cross-border terrorism and calling for coordinated international action against UN-designated terrorist organisations and their affiliates. Following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, both countries urged the global community to dismantle terrorist safe havens, disrupt terror financing networks, and prevent the cross-border movement of militants. The statement specifically referred to groups including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al Qaeda, and ISIS.

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During the same briefing, the MEA also addressed questions regarding recent Pakistani military strikes in Afghanistan. Jaiswal reiterated that India had strongly condemned the reported airstrikes, which allegedly resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children. He reaffirmed India’s support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while expressing condolences for the loss of civilian lives.

The spokesperson further stated that India continues to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan through the supply of medicines and development-oriented projects aimed at improving the lives of Afghan citizens. He emphasised that New Delhi’s engagement with Afghanistan remains focused on humanitarian support despite the evolving regional security situation.

The comments followed reports from Afghan authorities alleging that Pakistani military strikes in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar caused significant civilian casualties and damage to residential areas. According to officials of the Taliban-led administration, dozens of civilians were killed and more than 160 others injured in the reported attacks. The developments underscore continuing regional tensions as India maintains its security concerns regarding cross-border terrorism while extending humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

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