EAM Sushma Swaraj. (PTI photo)

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj injected a note of realism amid the “Kartarpur thaw”, ruling out any early Saarc summit in Pakistan and saying there could be no talks until the neighbour effectively checked cross-border terrorism.

“Terror and talks do not go together,” she said, even as Pakistan PM Imran Khan said at the ground- breaking ceremony for the corridor that all actors, including the army, are backing the peace process.

Swaraj’s statement makes it clear that India remains cautious about restarting talks, a caution that seemed justified with Khan’s reference to Kashmir and his comment whether peace would have to wait till Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu became India’s PM. Sidhu has praised Khan and enthusiastically backed the Kartarpur corridor as a path to better ties between India and Pakistan.

The foreign ministry said it was deeply regrettable that Khan chose to politicise the “pious occasion meant to realise the long-pending demand of the Sikh community to develop a Kartarpur corridor by making an unwarranted reference to Jammu & Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India.”

“Pakistan is reminded that it must fulfil its international obligations and take effective and credible action to stop providing shelter and all kind of support to cross-border terrorism from territories under its control,” the foreign ministry said. The exchange served to remind of the hurdles in any substantial discussions between India and Pakistan.

Regarding the purported invitation for the Saarc summit, Swaraj said India would not respond to Pakistan’s invitation. She was clear that Kartarpur corridor cannot be described as a peace initiative. “India has been asking for that for 20 years and for the first time Pakistan responded positively to this. But that does not mean bilateral dialogue will begin only on this. Terror and talks don’t go together,” she said.

“The moment Pakistan stops terrorist activities in India, a dialogue can start but the dialogue cannot start only with the Kartarpur corridor,” Swaraj said. “What makes you think Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I have different opinions on it?” she shot back to a question on whether she shared Modi’s opinion on not engaging with Pakistan. “There will be no talks with Pakistan and India will not attend the Saarc summit. Our stance is clear,” she said.

To another question, Swaraj said the Centre had sent two representatives for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor, but Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh should answer about Sidhu going there. “Amarinder Singh has written a letter objecting to the terrorist activity in Punjab, including an incident in which a place of worship was targeted. If Sidhu was allowed to go there in his personal capacity, it is Amarinder Singh who should best explain the contradiction,” she said.

