India rejects Pakistan's protest over Japan joint statement, says cross-border terrorism reference 'self-explanatory'

India on Friday firmly dismissed Pakistan’s objections to the recent India-Japan joint statement that referred to cross-border terrorism, asserting that the document clearly reflects the shared understanding of both countries on regional security issues.

Responding to Islamabad’s diplomatic protest, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the joint statement issued during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to New Delhi was comprehensive and required no additional explanation.

“The joint statement adopted during the Prime Minister of Japan’s visit addresses several bilateral issues as well as matters on which both countries share a common perspective,” Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing. “The statement is self-explanatory.”

The joint declaration was released after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Takaichi on July 2. It contained a strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and specifically referred to cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan, a formulation that prompted a formal protest from Islamabad.

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”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”.

With inputs from agencies