CHANDIGARH: Two days after saying India could take a relook at its no first use (NFU) nuclear doctrine, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh targeted Pakistan directly on Sunday saying that if at all talks are held with that nation, they will only be on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Addressing a rally after flagging off the 22-day long Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Kalka, Haryana, Rajnath said: “After we removed Article 370, our neighbour is knocking the doors of the international community saying Indian made a mistake. What crime have we committed? Why are we being threatened?”
Rajnath noted that the world’s most powerful country, the US, had snubbed Pakistan and asked it to hold a bilateral dialogue with India. “Talks with Pakistan will only be held if it stops exporting terror,’’ Rajnath added.
The defence minister’s statements come in the backdrop of Pakistan trying to drum up global support over Kashmir after India removed the special status the state enjoyed under Article 370 and its Prime Minister Imran Khan’s continuing rants on Twitter and elsewhere. Islamabad’s attempt to internationalise the issue by taking it to the UNSC failed miserably last Friday, with only long-time ally China explicitly backing it.