'Hand over Hafiz Saeed, Lakhvi. Things will be over': Indian envoy to Israel JP Singh's message to Pakistan
JP Singh said the Indus agreement was based on two principles: goodwill and friendship. "Over the past so many years, what we have seen — we were allowing water to flow and what was Pakistan doing? They were allowing terror."
- May 19, 2025,
- Updated May 19, 2025 1:02 PM IST
India has warned that its military operation against terrorism is "paused, not over," and demanded that Pakistan hand over key terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and Sajid Mir. In an interview with Israel's i24NEWS, Indian Ambassador to Israel JP Singh said the new normal would be an offensive counter-terror strategy.
"The ceasefire is still holding on but we have made it very clear that Operation Sindoor is paused. It's not yet over,” Singh said, adding that the fight against terrorism will continue. He noted that India has now adopted a proactive posture. "We have set a new normal and the new normal is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their terrorist infrastructure." For now, Singh said, "ceasefire is intact".
On the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, Singh said the agreement was based on two principles: goodwill and friendship. "Over the past so many years, what we have seen — we were allowing water to flow and what was Pakistan doing? They were allowing terror."
Singh said the move to suspend the treaty came after growing frustration over Pakistan's role. "There was a lot of frustration among the people that this cannot go on like this. After this attack, our prime minister said that the blood and water cannot flow together." As a result, India decided to put the IWT in abeyance and conveyed to Pakistan that it must stop cross-border terrorism before the treaty becomes operational again.
When asked about Pakistan's claims that this move is equivalent to an act of war, Singh responded by citing a long list of terror attacks. He recalled the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Uri base camp attack in 2016, Pulwama, and most recently the Pahalgam attack. "Believe me the root cause is these two groups — Jaish-e-Muhammad, the leader of Jaish Masood Aazar, Lashkar-e-Taiba, leader Hafiz Saeed,” he said.
Lashkar-e-Taiba, Singh said, was behind the Mumbai attacks and its leaders continue to roam free. "They need to do very simple thing - when the preamble includes goodwill and friendship, they just need to hand over these terrorists to us."
He pointed out that the United States had recently extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was involved in the Mumbai attack. "When the US can hand over these culprits, why can't Pakistan hand over?” Singh asked. "They have to simply hand over Hafeez Saeed, Lakhvi, Sajid Mir and things will be over."
Dismissing Pakistan's response as deflection, Singh said they always attempt to shift pressure. Referring to Pakistan’s offer to investigate the Pahalgam attack, he asked: “What has happened to the Mumbai attack? What has happened to the Pathankot air base attack? What has happened to the Pulwama attack?”
India, he said, has already shared detailed evidence. “We have given them dossiers after dossiers — we have given them technical inputs. America has shared with them evidences. Everything is there but what they have done?”
He emphasised that “Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who was the main planner of Mumbai attack, is still roaming freely. Hafiz Saeed, the head of Lashkar Taiba, planner executioner of Mumbai attack, roaming freely. So we can't believe them.”
Singh also called for greater global cooperation to fight terrorism. “On terrorism, not only India and Israel, all those countries who are facing the brunt of terrorism should join together.”
He said India has made its stance clear. “Our prime minister has made it very clear — very clear — that we have zero tolerance on terrorism. We are not going to accept this cross-border terrorism.”
India will continue to act against Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and their proxies, he said, but urged countries like Israel to work together to form a global coalition. "We need to cooperate. We need to form a coalition against this terrorism. And most importantly against the supporters of these terrorist groups."
India has warned that its military operation against terrorism is "paused, not over," and demanded that Pakistan hand over key terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and Sajid Mir. In an interview with Israel's i24NEWS, Indian Ambassador to Israel JP Singh said the new normal would be an offensive counter-terror strategy.
"The ceasefire is still holding on but we have made it very clear that Operation Sindoor is paused. It's not yet over,” Singh said, adding that the fight against terrorism will continue. He noted that India has now adopted a proactive posture. "We have set a new normal and the new normal is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their terrorist infrastructure." For now, Singh said, "ceasefire is intact".
On the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, Singh said the agreement was based on two principles: goodwill and friendship. "Over the past so many years, what we have seen — we were allowing water to flow and what was Pakistan doing? They were allowing terror."
Singh said the move to suspend the treaty came after growing frustration over Pakistan's role. "There was a lot of frustration among the people that this cannot go on like this. After this attack, our prime minister said that the blood and water cannot flow together." As a result, India decided to put the IWT in abeyance and conveyed to Pakistan that it must stop cross-border terrorism before the treaty becomes operational again.
When asked about Pakistan's claims that this move is equivalent to an act of war, Singh responded by citing a long list of terror attacks. He recalled the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Uri base camp attack in 2016, Pulwama, and most recently the Pahalgam attack. "Believe me the root cause is these two groups — Jaish-e-Muhammad, the leader of Jaish Masood Aazar, Lashkar-e-Taiba, leader Hafiz Saeed,” he said.
Lashkar-e-Taiba, Singh said, was behind the Mumbai attacks and its leaders continue to roam free. "They need to do very simple thing - when the preamble includes goodwill and friendship, they just need to hand over these terrorists to us."
He pointed out that the United States had recently extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was involved in the Mumbai attack. "When the US can hand over these culprits, why can't Pakistan hand over?” Singh asked. "They have to simply hand over Hafeez Saeed, Lakhvi, Sajid Mir and things will be over."
Dismissing Pakistan's response as deflection, Singh said they always attempt to shift pressure. Referring to Pakistan’s offer to investigate the Pahalgam attack, he asked: “What has happened to the Mumbai attack? What has happened to the Pathankot air base attack? What has happened to the Pulwama attack?”
India, he said, has already shared detailed evidence. “We have given them dossiers after dossiers — we have given them technical inputs. America has shared with them evidences. Everything is there but what they have done?”
He emphasised that “Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who was the main planner of Mumbai attack, is still roaming freely. Hafiz Saeed, the head of Lashkar Taiba, planner executioner of Mumbai attack, roaming freely. So we can't believe them.”
Singh also called for greater global cooperation to fight terrorism. “On terrorism, not only India and Israel, all those countries who are facing the brunt of terrorism should join together.”
He said India has made its stance clear. “Our prime minister has made it very clear — very clear — that we have zero tolerance on terrorism. We are not going to accept this cross-border terrorism.”
India will continue to act against Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and their proxies, he said, but urged countries like Israel to work together to form a global coalition. "We need to cooperate. We need to form a coalition against this terrorism. And most importantly against the supporters of these terrorist groups."