New Delhi has told Pakistan that it must show real, verifiable action against cross-border terrorism before the international community can believe its promises. The message came from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) during its bi-weekly media briefing on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan needs to “demonstrate action and firm commitment” and take “credible action against cross-border terrorism before the world believes it would do what it says”. His remarks came after Pakistan’s military leadership recently spoke about tackling militancy from its soil.news.
India’s position has been clear since the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, in which 26 people were killed. New Delhi has repeatedly said Islamabad must “credibly and irrevocably abjure” support for terror groups that operate across the border. For India, words from Pakistan are not enough; what matters is sustained, tangible action that can be verified.
The MEA’s latest statement underlines that India will link any meaningful engagement with Pakistan to concrete steps on terror. Diplomatic ties and confidence-building measures remain suspended until Islamabad shows a firm and lasting change in its approach to cross-border militancy, officials have indicated in recent briefings.
In the same briefing, India also strongly condemned Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Kunar and Paktika provinces. Jaiswal said several civilians were killed in the attacks and offered condolences to the families of those who died. He called such strikes “aggression against a sovereign neighbour” that “goes against regional peace and security”.
India reaffirmed its support for Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and again urged Pakistan to demonstrate a firm commitment against cross-border terrorism. New Delhi’s message was clear: regional stability cannot improve while Pakistan is seen as backing or tolerating terror networks that strike across borders.
For now, the burden is on Islamabad to move from rhetoric to results. Until Pakistan takes credible, lasting action against terror groups operating from its territory, India says the world will remain sceptical of its assurances.
