‘PoK Will Be Ours On Its Own’: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s Big Message To Pakistan

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday delivered a strong message to Islamabad, warning that India will regain control of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) without waging war, as the people there themselves are increasingly rising against Pakistan government and demanding freedom.

“PoK will be ours on its own. Demands have started being made in PoK, you must have heard sloganeering,” Rajnath Singh said while interacting with the Indian community in Morocco. He recalled telling the Army five years ago in Jammu and Kashmir - “We will not need to attack and capture PoK, it is anyway ours; PoK itself will say ‘Main bhi Bharat Hoon’. That day will come.”

Opposition Criticism Post Operation Sindoor

This remark of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh came amid opposition criticism that central government ‘missed the chance’ to take PoK back within Indian territory during Operation Sindoor.

India’s Terror Response

In Rabat, Rajnath Singh also drew a sharp contrast between Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

“The terrorists came here and killed our innocent people after asking their religion. But we did not see anyone’s religion, we looked at their actions (Dharm Nahi, Karm Dekh Kar Maara). We killed only those who killed our people. We didn’t attack any civilian or military establishment,” the Defence Minister said. He highlighted India’s commitment to secular values even in matters of national security.

“Only India can have this character,” he added.

Historic Morocco Visit

Rajnath Singh is on a two-day visit to Morocco, marking the first-ever trip by an Indian Defence Minister to the country. On Monday, he inaugurated Tata Advanced Systems’ Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 manufacturing facility in Berrechid — the first Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa.

The Defence Minister hailed the new facility in Morocco as an important milestone that reflects the growing global footprint of India's defence industry. Singh will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Moroccan counterpart Abdeltif Loudiyi.

India and Morocco are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Defence during Rajnath Singh's visit. The memorandum will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages. Indian Navy ships have been making regular port calls at Casablanca in recent years, and this agreement will further consolidate such ties.

(With ANI inputs)