Rajnath Singh warns Pakistan, says it has no locus standi on Kashmir

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday warned Pakistan to not indulge in unsubstantiated and vitriolic talk on Jammu and Kashmir.

Leh: Maintaining a tough stand on Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday warned it to not indulge in unsubstantiated and vitriolic talk on Jammu and Kashmir. Reiterating that Kashmir Valley is an integral part of India, Singh said that Pakistan has no locus standi on the region and should not be under any illusion about the same.

"Pakistan has no Locus Standi in Kashmir. The country is illegally occupying Gilgit-Baltistan along with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Our Parliament had in 1994 unanimously passed a resolution that the entire Kashmir valley belongs to India and our stand on it is clear. I want to ask Pakistan - when was Kashmir with Pakistan? Pakistan was created out of India. We respect the existence of Pakistan. But it does not mean that Pakistan can speak anything that it wants to about Kashmir. Kashmir will always remain with India and it should have no doubt about it. Pakistan should ensure that the human rights of the people living in PoK is not violated," Singh tweeted while attending a programme in Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

पाकिस्तान का कश्मीर में कोई Locus Standi नहीं है। जबकि गिलगिट-बाल्टिस्तान समेत पूरे POK पर उसने ग़ैर क़ानूनी क़ब्ज़ा जमाया हुआ है।

हमारे देश की संसद ने फ़रवरी 1994 को एक सर्वसम्मत प्रस्ताव पारित किया जिसमें भारत की स्थिति पूरी तरह स्पष्ट कर दी गयी है। — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 29, 2019

The Defence Minister is touring Ladakh, the newly created Union Territory of India, where he inaugurated the Kisan-Jawan Vigyan Mela organised by Defence Research and Development Organisation.

आज लद्दाख़ में ‘किसान जवान विज्ञान मेला’ का उद्घाटन किया गया। DIHAR @DRDO_India द्वारा आयोजित यह किसान जवान विज्ञान मेला लद्दाख में Strategic Ecosystem को मज़बूत करने की दिशा में एक बड़ा कदम है। pic.twitter.com/Wyip3VToaO — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 29, 2019

The warning from the Defence Minister came hours after Pakistan test-fired surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi. Pakistan's Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor confirming the development through a tweet on Thursday, which also included a video of the launch. 

The missile is capable of delivering multiple types of warheads upto 290 kilometers.

"Pakistan successfully carried out night training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, capable of delivering multiple types of warheads upto 290 KMs. CJCSC & Services Chiefs congrat team. President & PM conveyed appreciation to team & congrats to the nation," Ghafoor tweeted.

Pakistan has adopted a high-pitched vitriolic diatribe against India ever since PM Narendra Modi-led government abrogated Article 370 and Article 35A from Jammu and Kashmir which ended the former state's special status.

However, Islamabad has largely isolated itself despite desperate attempts aimed at internationalising the Kashmir issue. Despite focusing on the dwindling economy and terrorism emanating from its soil, Islamabad has been crying hoarse over Kashmir and also went to the extent of threatening a nuclear war. 

India has maintained that Kashmir is its internal matter but the neighbouring country has downgraded bilateral ties with New Delhi and said that it will consider all steps to counter what it described "illegal steps".