Ultimately, sustainable peace between India and Pakistan cannot be built merely through meetings or declarations. India is justified in refusing to return to business as usual so long as Pakistan continues to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy. The present circumstances do not warrant formal bilateral talks, but they do require robust channels of communication that can prevent crises from spiralling into military confrontation. There is an important distinction between structured political dialogue aimed at resolving outstanding disputes and functional communication designed to manage crises. Pakistan should not expect comprehensive political dialogue while cross-border terrorism continues.