Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said occupied Kashmir was foreign territory for Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir was incomplete without it, following it up with what he called a “dot dot dot” warning in case it does not stop PoK from waging militancy here.
The defence minister’s comments came in reaction to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq’s recent jihad threat during an address in Muzaffarabad. He said they had “enough resources to bring the jihadi culture back to liberate Kashmir”.
“The venomous tirade by the illegal Prime Minister of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir against India is part of Pakistan’s conspiracy. What PoK’s Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq is saying today mirrors the anti-India agenda of Pakistani rulers since the rule of General Zia-ul-Haq,” Rajnath told an army veterans’ programme in Jammu’s Akhnoor.
“PoK’s territory is being used for dangerous terrorism trade. I am saying openly today that the training camps are run there for terrorists. There are launch pads close to the border. We have solid information. The government of India knows everything. Pakistan will have to destroy them. Otherwise dot dot dot.”
Rajnath said Jammu and Kashmir was incomplete with PoK and the region was a crown jewel of India. “Otherwise also, PoK is nothing but a foreign territory for Pakistan. The people of PoK are being deprived of a dignified life,” he said.
The defence minister said Pakistan lost all wars with India in 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999. He said they were celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 1965 war but regretted that the strategic advances made by India during that war could not be converted into strategic advantages on the discussion table.
He said the then Lal Bahadur Shastri government could have ended cross-border terrorism in 1965. “The war between India and Pakistan was fought in Akhnoor in1965. India succeeded in thwarting all attempts of the Pakistani army. Pakistan has been promoting illegal infiltration and terrorism since 1965,” he said.
Rajnath praised the Muslim population of Jammu and Kashmir for “sacrificing” their lives fighting militancy and said they never stood by Pakistan during these wars.
He said one of the top priorities of the Centre was to bridge “whatever gap exists between Kashmir and the rest of the country” and praised chief minister Omar Abdullah, who was present on the occasion, for taking steps inthis direction.
The defence minister said the abrogation of Article 370 was a crucial step for bridging the gulf between Kashmir and Delhi. Rajnath was speaking at the 9th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day.