Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said development in Jammu and Kashmir, not war, was the way to retrieve Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The tone is at odds with that of some senior Union ministers and the army chief. The statement of Malik, known for making unconventional comments, need not influence decision-making in New Delhi but it still carries the weight of his post.

“I am watching for the past 15 days that a lot of our ministers who don’t get an opportunity to talk on international issues have started an invasion of PoK. (They say) we will take PoK, there will be an invasion of PoK, we will occupy PoK,” Malik said in Srinagar.

“It is their thinking. I say if our next target is PoK, then instead of confrontation, we should take it on the basis of Jammu and Kashmir’s development.”

Foreign minister S. Jaishankar had on Tuesday said:“Our position has, is and will always be very clear on PoK, that it is a part of India and we expect one day we will have physical jurisdiction over it.”

Defence minister Rajnath Singh had last month said talks with Pakistan would only be held on PoK, and not Kashmir.

Earlier, Gen. Bipin Rawat had said the army was ready for any action in PoK.

Malik said Jammu and Kashmir should be developed and its people given respect to make it the best state in the country.

The governor said normality should be restored in Kashmir not through force but by placating Kashmiris.