Rajnath’s message from Jammu: PoK nothing but foreign territory for Pakistan, being used to run terror camps

His comments are in line with the Parliament resolution of February 22, 1994, which had demanded that “Pakistan must vacate the areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, which they have occupied through aggression”.

Speaking on Tuesday, Rajnath said, “Over 80 per cent of the infiltrating militants come from Pakistan… the soil of PoK is being used for running the business of terrorism.”

“I want to say this openly that terror camps are being run there today as well, and there are launch pads in border areas,” he said. “Bharat sarkar ko iss sab ki jankari hai. Pakistan sarkar ko iss sab ko khatam karna chahiye, nahi toh dot, dot, dot (the Government of India has all the information. The Pakistan government must dismantle the terror network, or else…).”

He also slammed PoK’s “illegal’” Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq’s remarks on India and said that the people of PoK are being deprived of a decent and dignified living. He also criticised the Pakistani dispensation for inciting and provoking the people of PoK against India.

Pointing out that Pakistan has lost all the wars it fought against India since 1947, he said the country made an “unholy attempt under the name Op Grand Slam” in Akhnoor Sector in 1965. Lauding the Indian forces for safeguarding the country’s frontiers, he said they not only foiled Pakistan’s attempt in Akhnoor but by opening another front, managed to reach up to Lahore as well.

Pointing out that the neighbouring country has been promoting infiltration and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir since 1965, thinking that most of the population there is Muslim, he said, “Our Muslim brethren have sacrificed their lives fighting terrorism.”

He said the problem of terrorism would have ended in 1965 itself had the then central government been able to convert “many strategic advances” of its troops on the ground into “strategic advantages” on the negotiation table.

“This is not an accusation,” he said, adding that “whatsoever happened, there must be some thought behind it, and I do not want to discuss it here.”

During the 1965 war, Indian forces succeeded in unfurling the Tricolour at Haji Pir, he said, adding, “I feel that if it was not returned to the negotiation table, the infiltration routes of militants could have been closed then itself.”

He also lauded Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his efforts to reduce the distance between the people of J&K and Delhi, and added that the Centre’s top priority is to bridge “whatever gap remains between Kashmir and the rest of the country”.