Modi Rejects Talks with Pakistan Amid Sharif’s Call for Dialogue on Kashmir, Water, Trade

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi/Bikaner, May 22 — Tensions between India and Pakistan remain high following conflicting statements from the leadership of both countries on the possibility of future engagement. While Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has proposed renewed dialogue on four key issues — Kashmir, water, trade, and terrorism — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unequivocally ruled out any talks or trade with Islamabad, asserting that Pakistan must face consequences for supporting terrorism.

Speaking at a public rally in Rajasthan’s Bikaner on Thursday, PM Modi said, “There will be no trade or talks with Pakistan. For every terrorist attack, Pakistan will have to pay a high cost. And this cost will be paid by the country’s army and their economy.”

The statement came a day after PM Sharif reportedly told senior Pakistani journalists that any future discussions with India would revolve around Kashmir, terrorism, bilateral trade, and water-sharing agreements — the latter potentially referring to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which India has kept in abeyance since the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

India's decision to suspend provisions of the IWT, originally signed in 1960 as a gesture of goodwill, marked a significant shift in policy. PM Modi reinforced this stance by saying, “Pakistan will not be given the water which is rightfully India’s,” signaling a hardening position on shared river resources.

Meanwhile, Sharif also floated the idea of Saudi Arabia as a neutral venue for future dialogue, while ruling out China due to India’s objections. The suggestion appears to echo previous international mediation offers, including one by former U.S. President Donald Trump — all of which India has consistently rejected, maintaining that all issues with Pakistan must be resolved bilaterally and without third-party involvement.

The two nations had recently agreed to halt active hostilities after four days of intense cross-border exchanges following India’s Operation Sindoor — a retaliatory strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan. Despite this temporary pause in conflict, political rhetoric and public positions suggest that relations remain far from normalization.