India Counters Pakistan's Call For Better Ties With "Terrorism, Not Tango" Remark

India took a sharp dig at Pakistan following remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who stated that improving relations with India requires mutual effort, saying, “It takes two to tango.” The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) countered the statement, emphasizing terrorism as the core issue.

"The relevant 'T' word here is terrorism, not tango," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly briefing. The response followed Dar's suggestion that the responsibility to create an environment for trade and dialogue lies with both nations.

Trade between India and Pakistan has been suspended since 2019, when Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties following India's abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. India has maintained that meaningful engagement can only resume if Pakistan ceases cross-border terrorism.

Pakistan’s suspension of trade with India has severely affected its economy, leading to higher import costs and depleting foreign exchange reserves. High inflation and political instability have further strained the country, forcing reliance on international loans from entities like the IMF and friendly nations such as China.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has repeatedly underscored that cross-border terrorism, extremism, and separatism are the key obstacles to trade and improved bilateral relations. Last year, Jaishankar attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Pakistan, marking a potential step toward reconciliation. However, India continues to stress that "terror and talks" cannot coexist.