India Conditions Any Talks with Pakistan on Kashmir Issue
Rajnath Singh, India’s Defense Minister, announced that the country is currently not ready for any form of dialogue with Pakistan, and any potential negotiations would be limited solely to Kashmir under Pakistani control—a region that New Delhi considers part of its territory.
He made these remarks on Sunday during the 27th anniversary ceremony of the Kargil War victory, emphasizing that India’s policy towards Pakistan is clear and unwavering. According to him, any new actions from Islamabad would be met with a “hard” response based on the same strategic approach as before.
Referring to last year’s “Sundown” operation, the Defense Minister warned that any attempt targeting India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would face a similar reaction. He also declared that New Delhi will no longer differentiate between militant groups and their supporting structures.
Singh accused Pakistan of institutionalizing terrorism as state policy and claimed that the lines between the army and paramilitary groups have been erased in that country. Islamabad has previously denied such allegations.
In another part of his speech, he described India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War not only as a military achievement but also a diplomatic success, stating that the Indian armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty. The Kargil War in 1999 was fought between the two nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region, escalating the long-standing tensions between the two sides.
