India Rules Out “Uninterrupted Dialogue” with Pakistan: Jaishankar Emphasizes Firm Stance on Jammu and Kashmir

India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, declared on Friday that the era of “uninterrupted dialogue” with Pakistan is over, emphasizing that New Delhi will respond decisively to developments, whether positive or negative.

Speaking at a private event, Jaishankar addressed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to the region, is a settled matter. “The issue now is what kind of relationship we can contemplate with Pakistan,” he stated.

Jaishankar stressed that India is not passive and will react to events as they unfold. His remarks come ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, which Pakistan is set to host in October.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office recently confirmed that invitations had been extended to all SCO member states, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite the ongoing strained ties between the two nations.

The SCO, a key multilateral platform led by Russia and China, remains significant for India, particularly in terms of regional security and collaboration with Central Asian countries. While India values its engagement with the SCO, it remains cautious of China’s influence within the organization. Notably, India has consistently refrained from endorsing China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a contentious issue within the SCO.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been tense since August 2019, when the Modi government unilaterally revoked the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan viewed this move as a significant setback to the prospects of dialogue between the two neighbors.