'WILL NOT HAVE TO USE FORCE, DEMANDS TO MERGE WITH INDIA WILL COME FROM POK': DEFENCE MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH
NEW DELHI: Talking about India's stance on Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK), defence minister Rajnath Singh said that India won't resort to force to reclaim it as residents would naturally incline towards being a part of India, drawn by the progress witnessed in Kashmir.
He asserted that future demands for merger with India may arise from within PoK itself, eliminating the need for military intervention.
"I think India will not have to do anything. The way the ground situation has changed in Jammu and Kashmir, the way the region is witnessing economic progress and the way peace has returned there, I think demands will emerge from people of PoK that they should merge with India," Singh said in an interview with PTI.
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"We will not have to use force to take PoK as people would say that we must be merged with India. Such demands are now coming," he added, asserting that "PoK was, is, and will remain ours"
The defence minister assured that elections will eventually take place in Jammu and Kashmir, but refrained from providing a specific timeline.
He underscored the evolving situation in Jammu and Kashmir, hinting at a potential easing of security measures like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as conditions improve.
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"The way the situation is improving in Jammu and Kashmir, I think a time will come when AFSPA will no longer be required there. It is my view and it is for the home ministry to decide on it," he said.
Singh also addressed Pakistan's involvement in cross-border terrorism and urged Islamabad to halt its destabilizing activities. He highlighted India's resolve to counter such threats and maintain peace in the region.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following India's airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Pakistan in response to the Pulwama terror attack. Relations further soured after India's decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status and reorganise the states into two union territories in August 2019.
India has continued to affirm that it wants cordial relations with Pakistan, emphasizing that the responsibility lies with Islamabad to foster an environment devoid of terrorism and animosity to facilitate such a relationship.