No Need To Waste "Precious Time" On Them: S Jaishankar's Barb At Pak

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said the 2008 Mumbai terror attack marked a turning point in relations with Pakistan when Indians collectively felt that such behaviour from a neighbouring country could no longer be tolerated.

Speaking at Charotar University of Science and Technology during an interactive session, Mr Jaishankar acknowledged India's transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the last decade.

In contrast, Pakistan has remained unchanged, continuing with what he termed as its "bad habits." When asked why the Indian government rarely discusses Pakistan publicly anymore, S Jaishankar explained that there was no need to waste "precious time" on them.

"India has changed. I wish I could say Pakistan has changed. They unfortunately, in many ways, are continuing their bad habits. I would say the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack was the turning point. I think that was when the Indian public, across political parties, said this is too much," he said.

"People felt that the country (India) cannot accept this behaviour from a neighbour. I think that feeling was very very strong in society, but it may not have been entirely understood at that time by the Government at that time, which is a different matter," the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat told the audience.

After 2014, when the government changed, Pakistan was given a firm message that there will be consequences if acts of terrorism are committed, he said.

"During this period, we have grown economically and politically, and our standing in the world has improved. But, Pakistan continued the old playbook," he said.

Mr Jaishankar said Pakistan was also trying to gain something from the conflict in Afghanistan when the US and NATO were present there.

"Pakistan was playing a double game. It was with both the Taliban and also with the other side. But, when the Americans left, the double game could not be sustained. Whatever benefits they were getting out of the double game that also went down. Moreover, the very terrorism industry they had promoted came back to bite them," he added.