Pakistan on Rajnath Singh's remark: A day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas, said that India is ready to cross the Line of Control (LoC) to maintain its honour and dignity, Pakistan in response on Thursday (July 27) said that the "belligerent rhetoric" is a threat to regional peace and stability.
Singh, speaking on the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas in Ladakh's Drass town, said that no compromise will be made in protecting the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country.
What Pakistan said:
Responding to Singh's remarks, the Foreign Office in Islamabad said Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself against any aggression. "We counsel India to exercise utmost caution as its belligerent rhetoric is a threat to regional peace and stability and contributes to destabilising the strategic environment in South Asia," it said in a statement.
The statement further said that this is not the first time that India’s political leaders and senior military officers have made "highly irresponsible" remarks about Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
'No compromise will be made in protecting the sovereignty...'
On the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas, the Defence Minister said, "No compromise will be made in protecting the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. We have given a free hand to the armed forces to eliminate the nation's enemies." "We can go to any extreme to maintain the honour and dignity of the country... if that includes crossing the LoC, we are ready to do that... if we are provoked and if the need arises, we will cross the LoC," he said.
"The Kargil war was imposed on India. At that time, India had tried to solve the issues with Pakistan through talks... we are backstabbed by Pakistan," he said, adding that the armed forces have been given a free hand to eliminate the "nation's enemies. "During Operation Vijay, the Indian Army sent a message not only to Pakistan but to the whole world that when it comes to our national interests, our Army will not back down at any cost," he added.
The Indian Army had launched a fierce counterassault, Operation Vijay, to push back Pakistani forces that had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh in 1999. Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed to mark India's victory over Pakistan.
India-Pakistan ties
The relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. However, after India revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, relations between the two nations deteriorated dramatically.
India’s decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy. India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and shall forever remain an integral part of the country. India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.
(With PTI inputs)
