Union ministers raise pitch on PoK issue

Raising the pitch on PoK issue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said any talks with Pakistan in future would be only about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while his ministerial colleague Jitendra Singh voiced hope that the region would be integrated with India.

Rajnath Singh, who was addressing a public rally in Haryana's Kalka, said there would be no talks with Pakistan unless it acts against terrorists and stops supporting terror activities.

"If talks take place (with Pakistan), it will be on PoK and not on any other issue," he said.

Referring to scrapping of the provision granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution, Singh said the decision had sent jitters in Pakistan.

Addressing a meet organised by the BJP's J-K unit at party headquarters in Jammu, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said after the revocation of Article 370 provisions, people should now pray for the integration of PoK with India in their lifetime.

"We are lucky that it (revoking of the special status) happened in our lifetime. It is because of the sacrifices of our three generations," Singh, who is Minister of State for the Prime Minister's Office, said.

He said, "After this historic step, let us move forward with a positive thinking of freeing PoK from the illegal occupation of Pakistan and making it an integral part of the country in accordance with the unanimously passed resolution in Parliament (in 1994)."
Hitting out at the Congress over the Rafale fighter jets issue, the Defence Minister said, "Had we got Rafale, our Air Force need not have gone to Balakot. We could have eliminated those terrorists from our land itself."