NEW DELHI, INDIA — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a sharp warning to neighbouring Pakistan, declaring that any future terrorist attacks against India will be met with a “strong and uncompromising response.” His comments come in the wake of a tentative ceasefire brokered by the United States after four intense days of military escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
Speaking at his first public rally since the recent conflict, Modi used forceful language, stating, “This is not a time for war, but it is also not a time to tolerate terrorism. Blood and water cannot flow together.” The metaphor-laden remark signals a hardening stance from New Delhi on both security and shared water agreements with Islamabad.
The flare-up began after a deadly militant attack in the scenic Pahalgam Valley of Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, which left 26 civilians dead. India blamed the assault on a Pakistan-based militant group—an allegation Islamabad has strongly denied.
In response, India launched a series of retaliatory airstrikes, targeting what it claimed were terrorist training camps and military installations inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan retaliated with its own strikes, and both sides claimed to have shot down enemy drones and inflicted casualties on each other’s forces. By the end of the four-day conflict, dozens had been reported dead, with both nations accusing each other of aggression along the disputed border region.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire was agreed upon late Saturday evening, May 10, following diplomatic pressure from international actors concerned that the conflict could spiral into a full-scale war. Since the ceasefire took effect, military officials from both India and Pakistan have engaged in talks to discuss de-escalation strategies, including troop drawdowns along the Line of Control (LoC)—the de facto border in the contested Kashmir region.
In his speech on Monday, Prime Minister Modi emphasized: “If another terrorist attack occurs on Indian soil, we will respond with strength. There can be no dialogue with those who support terrorism. Terror and trade cannot go hand in hand.”
He went on to suggest that water-sharing treaties with Pakistan—particularly the Indus Waters Treaty—could be re-examined if cross-border terrorism continues. “Blood and water cannot flow together,” Modi reiterated, echoing sentiments he previously expressed after earlier attacks in 2016 and 2019.
In a public address over the weekend, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan urged restraint and diplomacy: “We have acted responsibly throughout this crisis. Our dignity and national pride mean more to us than life itself,” he said.
Sharif also expressed hope that water-related disputes could be resolved through peaceful negotiations, dismissing Modi’s threats as “provocative” and unhelpful to regional stability. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947, two of them over the Kashmir region, which both countries claim in full but govern in part. The area remains one of the most militarized zones in the world.
Over the years, sporadic flare-ups and terror attacks have consistently threatened to derail peace efforts. Both countries possess nuclear weapons, making any military conflict between them a major concern for global security. The most recent escalation comes just weeks before key regional summits, including the South Asian Security Forum, where India and Pakistan are expected to face pressure from allies and international stakeholders to resume peace dialogues.
