Rajnath Singh says PoK will return to India without military action

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday ( September 22) said that India will regain control of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) without any aggressive actions, adding that the people in PoK itself have been demanding freedom from the current ruling dispensation. Singh, currently on a two-day visit to Morocco, said that demands for freedom are already being raised in PoK.

"PoK will be ours on its own. Demands have started being made in PoK, you must have heard sloganeering," said Singh while interacting with the Indian community in Morocco, reported ANI.

'India doesn't have to attack Pok'

The Defence Minister recalled that he made a similar remark five years ago while speaking at an Indian Army event in Jammu and Kashmir. Singh said that at that time, he also stated that India did not need to attack Pok to gain control, adding that it always belonged to India. He also said that one day, PoK will itself say that it was a part of India.

"I was addressing the Indian Army at a program in the Kashmir Valley five years ago. I had then said that 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," said Singh.

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Opposition's allegation on PoK

The Defence Minister’s remark on PoK comes at a time when several Opposition party leaders have accused the Government of agreeing to a ceasefire despite having the upper hand in the military conflict with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. Several Opposition leaders have alleged that the Government failed to capitalise on the situation, adding that there was an opportunity to capture PoK.

The Defence Minister will inaugurate the Tata Advanced Systems' new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 at Berrechid in Morocco. This will be the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa.

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India-Morocco to sign MoU

Singh hailed the defence manufacturing facility in Morocco as an important milestone that reflects the growing global footprint of India's defence industry. The Defence Minister 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, reported ANI.