Latest news with #POK
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Talks with Pak only on POK: Abhishek in Kuala Lumpur
Kolkata: Despite differences with BJP, political interests can never outweigh national interests, national general secretary said in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. Banerjee also insisted that talks with Pakistan can only be on POK. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Interacting with the Indian diaspora, Banerjee said, "I represent the Trinamool Congress, a political party. I may have differences with the party in office, but here I am representing India. I will not let my political interests come in the way of my national interests. When it comes to safeguarding the sovereignty and security of the nation, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with my country." "We were in talks with them (Pakistan) for decades, despite changes in various paradigms and govts. But one thing remains constant – the conflict with Pakistan," Banerjee said. "After what happened on April 22, where 26 people were killed at point-blank range solely based on their religion and gender – although I am an MP from the opposition camp – I want the ruling dispensation to engage in dialogue with Pakistan only to discuss reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Otherwise, these terror attacks will continue. This is my personal opinion," he added.
United News of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Hand over Hafiz Syed, Masood Azhar to India if you want talks, Rajnath tells Pakistan
Panaji, May 30 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked Pakistan to hand over terrorists Hafiz Syed and Masood Azhar to India if Islamabad is serious about talks with New Delhi. 'If Pakistan is serious about talks, it should hand over terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India so that justice is served,' the Defence Minister said addressing officers and sailors onboard INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, off Goa coast. 'Both of them are not only in India's list of Most Wanted Terrorists, they are also UN Designated Terrorists. Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the Mumbai attacks, has been brought to India recently. Hafiz Saeed is also guilty of the Mumbai attacks, and justice must be done for his crime,' he said. On Pakistan's repeated offer of talks, the Defence Minjister reaffirmed India's stand saying the talks could be only on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and terrorism. 'If there are talks, it will only be on terrorism and PoK,' he said. He said Pakistan needs to understand that time is up for the dangerous game of terrorism it has been playing since Independence. 'Now, if Pakistan instigates any terrorist act against India, it will have to bear the consequences and face defeat. India will not hesitate. It will use every method to root out the menace of terrorism,' he warned. He said "anti-India activities" were being carried out openly from Pakistani soil and India is completely free to carry out every kind of operation against terrorists on both sides of the border and the sea. 'Today, the whole world is acknowledging India's right to protect its citizens against terrorism,' he said, emphasising that Pakistan must uproot the nursery of terrorism operating on its soil with its own hands. Praising the Indian Navy's role in the Operation Sindoor, he said when Indian Air Force destroyed the terror bases on Pakistani soil, the Navy's aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, its unmatched maritime domain awareness and supremacy confined the Pakistani Navy to its own shores. 'Our Western Fleet ships deployed at sea within 96 hours of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, carried out successful firings of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes on the western and eastern coast. It demonstrated the combat readiness of our platforms, systems and crew and our intent and readiness, forcing the enemy to come into a defensive posture,' he said. UNI RBE/RB SSP
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Any talks with Pakistan will only be on terror, return of POK: Rajnath SIngh
NEW DELHI: India has redesigned and redefined its strategy and response to terrorism emanating from Pakistan and if talks do take place with Islamabad in the future, they will only be on terrorism and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday in what appeared a repudiation of Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif's suggestion that the two countries should engage in comprehensive dialogue that covers all their disputes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now POK was an integral part of India and its people, who got geographically and politically separated, and would sooner or later voluntarily return to India "listening to the voice of their souls and self-respect", Singh said, addressing the annual CII business summit here. Echoing Singh, the external affairs ministry later in the day said any dialogue with Islamabad will have to be focused on the return of POK and also wanted terrorists to India. The ministry also said any engagement between the two countries would be strictly bilateral. "We want to reiterate that terrorism and dialogue cannot go hand in hand. And as far as the issue of terrorism is concerned, any discussion with Pakistan will focus on the list of terrorists we had provided them some years ago - they should hand them over to us," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "Regarding J&K, any bilateral talks will only be about one thing - when will Pakistan vacate POK, which it has been holding illegally and unlawfully," he added. Singh earlier warned Pakistan that India could have inflicted much more damage between May 7 and 10 during Operation Sindoor, with 'Made in India' weapons having the power to "penetrate any armour of the enemy", but exercised restraint as a responsible country. Stressing that 'Make in India' was an essential component of national security, he said the country's home-grown weapons systems surprised the entire world by playing a key role in Operation Sindoor.
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
India Air Force Chief urges to design and produce defence systems locally
9:06 The Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has made a significant statement regarding Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), asserting that its residents are part of India. He expressed confidence that POK will be reclaimed and its people will join India in the future. The Defence Minister also highlighted India's commitment to self-reliance in defence, citing Operation Sindoor as an example of India's indigenous capabilities. The Indian Air Force Chief discussed the approval for private industry participation in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, emphasising the focus on designing and developing within India.
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
POK our own, day not far when its people will return to India: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the people of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) are part of India's "own family" and expressed confidence that the day is not far when they will voluntarily return to the Indian mainstream, guided by their inner at the CII Business Summit, Singh said India remains committed to the vision of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat', and believes that those separated by geography and politics will one day reunite with the country with dignity and an emotional parallel, Singh likened the current situation in POK to that of Shakti Singh, the younger brother of Maharana Pratap, noting that India's faith in its brothers and sisters across the Line of Control remains unwavering. "Even after separation, the confidence and faith of the elder brother towards his younger brother remains intact," he Singh said that the majority of people in POK feel a deep cultural and emotional connection with India, asserting that only a handful have been misled. He said India's path has always been one of unity, truth, and love, and expressed hope that POK will one day declare, "I am India, I have returned."Laying out New Delhi's broader policy stance towards Pakistan, the defence minister said that any future dialogue with Islamabad would only focus on two issues: terrorism and has redesigned and redefined its response to terrorism. The business of terrorism is not cost effective-it comes at a heavy price, as Pakistan has come to realise," he comments came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent statement, urged the youth of Pakistan to rise and liberate their nation from the "disease of terrorism".Rajnath Singh also used the platform to highlight the critical role of the 'Make-in-India' initiative in strengthening India's national security. Citing the success of Operation Sindoor, he said that the use of indigenous weapons systems allowed Indian forces to precisely strike terrorist hideouts and military installations."We could have done much more, but we chose a powerful blend of strength and restraint," he Defence Minister echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent address to the nation, in which the Prime Minister made his first remarks following India's targeted strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and POK under Operation Sindoor. The strikes were carried out in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam."Terror and talks cannot happen at the same time. Terror and trade cannot take place. Blood and water cannot flow together. I want to tell the international community that if there will be talks between India and Pakistan, it will only be on terrorism and POK," he had Singh noted the remarkable growth of India's defence exports, which have surged from under Rs 1,000 crore a decade ago to a record Rs 23,500 crore today. Singh described domestic defence manufacturing as not just a pillar of national security but also a driver of economic Singh also outlined India's ambition to develop next-generation warfare capabilities. He announced that the Defence Ministry has cleared the execution model for building the country's first fifth-generation stealth fighter jet-the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).For the first time, the project will allow both public and private sector participation, with plans to develop five prototypes before moving to full-scale production. He hailed the AMCA initiative as a landmark moment in India's defence history and a major milestone in the 'Make-in-India' InMust Watch
