India's relations with Pak 'strictly bilateral': Jaishankar

New Delhi: India on Thursday outright rejected any third-party intervention in dealing with Pakistan, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calling relations with its neighbour “strictly bilateral”.

“Our relations and dealings with Pakistan will be strictly bilateral. That has been a national consensus for years, and there is absolutely no change in that,” Jaishankar said while speaking to reporters in Delhi.

Jaishankar’s statement comes amid a series of claims by US President Donald Trump of having mediated a ceasefire between the two nations by prodding New Delhi and Islamabad to work out “trade deals”.

Opposition parties in India have been seeking clarification from the government on the modalities of the ceasefire in the wake of the position taken by the current White House administration on Indo-Pak ties.

In response to the Pahalgam terror attacks, India conducted precision air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan on May 7.

The hostilities escalated as Pakistan targeted Indian military establishments in response, which was followed by subsequent retaliation from New Delhi. The conflict ended on May 10 after talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations of both sides.

Jaishankar on Thursday insisted India’s action against terror camps was only aimed at holding the Pahalgam accused accountable.

"...Pakistan has a list of terrorists, who need to be handed over. They have to shut down terrorist infrastructure, they know what to do," he added.

Reiterating the broad terms of future engagements with Pakistan set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister said, "The only thing that remains to be discussed on Kashmir is vacating the illegally occupied Indian territory in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. We are open to discussing it with Pakistan...the government position is very, very clear."

Modi, in his address, had said India would discuss only two issues with Pakistan: the return of PoK and the dismantling of terror infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Israel on Thursday extended full support to India’s fight against terrorism. Amir Baram, Director General, Israel’s Defence Ministry, spoke with Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh to “discuss a future roadmap to further strengthen strategic cooperation”.