IWT suspension, Trump's 'stopped nuclear war' claims countered & more: Key highlights from MEA briefing amid Indo-Pak tensions

India on Tuesday reiterated that New Delhi will keep the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance until Pakistan’s withdraws its continued support for terrorism.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in its weekly briefing, said that Pakistan must vacate all territories illegally occupied by it in Kashmir and end support to cross-border terrorism if it wishes for any progress in ties.

The MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also detailed the communication between the two nations’ military heads and provided updates on the ongoing investigation into the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and the Operation Sindoor that followed.

Also Read: Indus Waters Treaty to remain suspended until Pakistan aborts support for terrorism: MEA

Key highlights from MEA press briefing

• “Our long-standing position is that Kashmir issue has to be addressed bilaterally between India and Pakistan; that position has not changed.”
• “The only issue with Islamabad on Kashmir is return of illegally-occupied territories to India by Pakistan.”
• “Pakistan nurtured terrorism on an industrial scale.”
• “Terrorist infrastructure India destroyed were responsible not only for the deaths of Indians but of many other innocents around world.”
• “There is now a new normal and sooner Pakistan gets used to it, the better.”
• “The other day, you saw that after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) decision, the Indus Water Treaty has been put in abeyance. I would also like to take you back a little. The Indus Water Treaty was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship, as specified in the preamble of the treaty. However, Pakistan has held these principles in abeyance by its promotion of cross-border terrorism for several decades now. As per the CCS decision of April 23, India will keep the treaty in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism.”
• “The specific date, time, and wording of the understanding between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on 10 May, 2025 commenced at 15:35 Hrs. The Foreign Secretary (Vikram Misri) has made a statement in this regard. The request for this call was received by MEA from the Pakistani High Commission at 12:37 Hrs. The Pakistani side faced technical difficulties in connecting the hotline to the Indian side. The timing was then decided based on the availability of the Indian DGMO at 15:35 Hrs. Early on May 10, we did an extremely effective attack on key Pakistani Air Force bases. This was the reason they were now willing to stop firing and military actions.”
• “We have had several rounds of briefing and we shared the kinds of linkage we see between the perpetrators of the attack of Pahalgam. The Foreign Secretary made it clear– the kind of evidence that we see. The investigation is going on in this matter… TRF had taken the responsibility twice, and thereafter, at the behest of their handlers, they rolled it back. TRF is one organisation that is at the front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.”
• Our military action was entirely in conventional domain: MEA on US President Trump's speculation on nuclear conflict between India, Pak.

Also Read: How PM Modi dismantled Pakistan’s fake news campaign against India with an unannounced visit to Adampur air base

• "...Claiming victory is an old habit. They did the same in 1971, 1975 and 1999 Kargil War. Dhol bajane ka Paksitan ka purana ravaiyya hai. Parast ho jaye lekin dhol bajao..." says MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's interview to foreign media