India's relations and dealings with Pakistan will be "strictly bilateral", which is a national consensus for many years and there is "absolutely no change" in that consensus, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.
Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of an event here, he also said the UN Security Council had underlined the need to hold the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack accountable, and on May 7 morning.
"We actually got a lot of international support. Many ministers and leaders called the Prime Minister, and many ministers called me as well. We had a UNSC resolution that perpetrators must be held accountable, and on May 7th, they were held accountable through Operation Sindoor," said the EAM.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure early on May 7 following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Pakistani actions were strongly responded to by the Indian side.
The hostilities ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of both sides on May 10.
"To me things are fairly clear. So, let me take this opportunity to spell out our position. One, where Pakistan is concerned, our relations, our dealings with them will be bilateral, and strictly bilateral.
"That is a national consensus for many years, and there is absolutely no change in that consensus that dealings with Pakistan will be bilateral," Jaishankar said.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it "very clear" that any talks with Pakistan will be only on terror.
"...Pakistan has a list of terrorists, who need to be handed over. They have to shut down terrorist infrastructure, they know what to do," the external affairs minister said.
Jaishankar said New Delhi is "prepared to discuss" with Islamabad what is to be done on terrorism. "We are prepared to discuss with them what is to be done on terrorism," he said.
On Pakistan's appeal to India to rethink suspension of Indus Water Treaty, Jaishankar said, "The Indus Waters Treaty is held in abeyance and will continue to be held in abeyance until the cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped. Sometimes Kashmir issue has been brought up. The only thing which remains to be discussed on Kashmir is the vacating of illegally occupied Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and we are open to discussing that with Pakistan."
On cessation of firing and military action between India and Pakistan, he said, ,"We achieved the goals which we set out to do by destroying the terrorist infrastructure. Even at the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan saying we are striking at terrorist infrastructure and not military and the military has an option to stand out and not interfere. They chose not to take that good advice. Once they got badly hit on the morning of 10th May. The satellite pictures show how much damage we did and what little damage they did. It is clear who wanted cessation of firing."
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