Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday expressed confidence that India would regain control of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) without resorting to military action, asserting that the people of the region are themselves seeking freedom from the current administration.
“PoK will be ours on its own. Demands have started being made in PoK; you must have heard the sloganeering,” Singh said while addressing the Indian community in Morocco.
The Minister recalled making a similar statement five years ago during an Indian Army event in Jammu and Kashmir. “I had said then 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,” he added.
Singh is on a two-day visit to Morocco, where he is set to inaugurate Tata Advanced Systems’ new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8×8 at Berrechid. The facility marks the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa, a milestone highlighting the expanding global footprint of India’s defence industry.
During his visit, Singh is also scheduled to meet his Moroccan counterpart, Abdeltif Loudiyi. India and Morocco are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation, which will provide a framework for bilateral engagement in areas such as training, exchanges, and industrial linkages. Indian Navy ships have been making regular port calls at Casablanca, and the agreement is likely to further consolidate these ties.
This visit marks the first by an Indian Defence Minister to Morocco.
ANI
