India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, announced on Friday that the era of “uninterrupted dialogue” with Pakistan is over, stating that New Delhi will respond to developments involving Islamabad “whether positive or negative.”
Speaking at a private event, Jaishankar emphasized that the situation regarding Jammu and Kashmir has changed permanently with the abrogation of Article 370 and that the focus now is on the type of relationship India can maintain with Pakistan.
“We are not passive. Whether events take a positive or a negative turn, we will react accordingly,” Jaishankar asserted.
His remarks come ahead of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting, which Pakistan is set to host in October. Despite the strained relations, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed that it has extended invitations to all SCO member states, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The SCO, co-led by Russia and China, remains a vital platform for India, particularly for regional security and collaboration with Central Asian nations. India, however, has maintained a cautious stance within the organization, notably refusing to endorse China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a point of contention in SCO joint statements.
Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic ties with India following the Modi government’s unilateral decision in August 2019 to revoke the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Islamabad has linked the normalization of relations with New Delhi to the restoration of IIOJK’s special status.
Despite ongoing tensions, both nations agreed in February 2021 to renew the 2003 ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC).
