New Delhi: India on Friday brushed aside Pakistan’s objections to a reference to cross-border terrorism in a recent India-Japan joint statement and said the document “is self-explanatory” and reflects shared perspectives on regional security challenges.
The India-Japan joint statement, issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on July 2 in New Delhi, had strongly condemned all forms of terrorism, including “cross-border terrorism from Pakistan”.
Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with Japan over references to cross-border terrorism.
“I would say the joint statement that was adopted during the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to India has several issues addressed, which are of bilateral nature, and also on issues on which we have a certain viewpoint,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.
“I would say that our joint statement is self-explanatory,” when he was asked about Pakistan’s action,” he said.
His remarks came in response to a question.
“The two prime ministers unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism from Pakistan,” the joint statement said.
It said Modi and Takaichi condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, and took note of the UN Security Council Monitoring team linking it to The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“They also condemned in the strongest terms the terror incident in Delhi on November 10, 2025. They called for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay,” the statement had said.
It said the two leaders also “called for concerted actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups and entities including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxies, and to take resolute actions to root out terrorists’ safe havens.”
A Pakistan foreign office spokesperson said on Thursday that a “strong demarche” was made to Japanese side through diplomatic channels.
“Whenever there is an engagement with India, India forces the inclusion of such references in its joint statements, not just with Japan but also with other countries,” the spokesperson said.
To another question on Pakistan describing a warrant issued by an Indian court for LeT founder Hafiz Saeed in connection with the Pahalgam attack as a “politically motivated”, Jaiswal said Pakistan has sponsored cross-border terrorism for decades and used it as an instrument of state policy.
“The Pahalgam terror attack took several innocent lives. You all saw its barbarity. Our authorities have begun investigations in the matter and it continues,” Jaiswal said.
“As far as cross-border terrorism is concerned, you are well aware of Pakistan’s decades-long sponsorship and support for it, as also its continued use as an instrument of state policy,” he said.
In connection with Islamabad’s rejection of charges filed by the NIA against several Kashmiri separatist leaders in connection with an incident in 1996, Jaiswal said Pakistan has “no locus standi to comment on matters which are internal to India”.
