India Rules Out IWT, Kashmir Talks With Pakistan; Limits Engagement To DGMO Level Only

India will engage with Pakistan solely through communication between their respective Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), and there will be no dialogue on contentious issues such as Kashmir or the Indus Waters Treaty, which currently remains suspended, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Following four days of intense hostilities-during which both nations targeted each other's military positions using drones, missiles, and long-range weaponry, heightening fears of a full-scale conflict-the DGMOs reached an agreement on Saturday afternoon to cease all military activity.

Photo Credit: PTI

The two commanders are scheduled to resume communication via their dedicated hotline at midday on May 12.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the individuals dismissed suggestions from the United States-particularly from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio-regarding potential mediation on Kashmir and wider bilateral talks at a "neutral venue", as well as American claims of facilitating a "ceasefire".

Saturday's arrangement to halt all land, air, and maritime hostilities was made directly between India and Pakistan, they stressed.

"From the outset, we have been clear that the only communication between India and Pakistan will occur at the DGMO level, and it will be direct," one source stated. "There will be no political-level discussions."

Claims from Pakistan's leadership-including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar-regarding alleged contact between the countries' national security advisers and foreign ministers were described as "utterly false".

The sources also denied the existence of any indirect engagement via third parties.

"We are absolutely firm that any meaningful communication must happen directly between the DGMOs," another source added.

New Delhi maintains there is nothing to negotiate with Islamabad concerning Kashmir, other than the return of territories in Jammu and Kashmir that India considers to be "illegally occupied" by Pakistan.

"There is no further discussion to be had. They must return the territory, and they can do so directly. No intermediaries are necessary," said the second source.

India will continue to enforce the diplomatic, political, and economic punitive measures imposed on Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, particularly the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960-a pact that endured through three wars.

This was a key decision by the Cabinet Committee on Security in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and conveyed a clear message: Pakistan's support for terrorism will come at an increasingly steep cost.

The Indus Waters Treaty was founded on the principles of goodwill, friendship, and neighbourly cooperation-principles which, according to Indian officials, Pakistan has disregarded through its persistent support for cross-border terrorism.

"Pakistan cannot expect cooperation in areas beneficial to them while perpetuating cross-border terrorism," said one of the individuals.

India has, over the past few years, sought to modernise the treaty to make it more relevant and effective under present-day circumstances, invoking Article 12 of the treaty for government-level negotiations.

Officials noted the treaty is outdated, grounded in mid-20th century engineering and now misaligned with current realities such as climate change, glacial melt, shifts in water availability, and demographic pressures.

"There is a legitimate need to reassess the allocation of rights and responsibilities under the treaty. We have approached Pakistan for such discussions over the last two years, but they have persistently refused to engage-this in itself constitutes a treaty violation," said the first source.

The officials added that Pakistan's campaign of cross-border terrorism has altered the security dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir, directly affecting India's ability to fully utilise its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty.