In a recent dialogue with PTI, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh underscored India’s unwavering stance on Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK), stressing that while India maintains its claim, the avenue of forceful annexation is not the course it envisions. Singh posited that the allure of India’s developmental strides in Kashmir would naturally draw the people of PoK towards integration, obviating the need for coercive measures.

Highlighting the palpable improvements in the ground dynamics of Jammu and Kashmir, Singh envisaged a future where the draconian measures of AFSPA would find obsolescence in the Union Territory. However, he delineated that the decision rests within the purview of the Union Home Ministry, declining to furnish a concrete timeline while affirming the inevitability of elections.

India, in Singh’s view, is poised for a paradigm shift sans any overt exertions. The metamorphosis in Jammu and Kashmir’s landscape, marked by economic upswing and restored tranquility, he contends, would organically galvanize calls for PoK’s assimilation into India. Such sentiments, he notes, are burgeoning amidst the populace, heralding a trajectory where the amalgamation is viewed as a conscionable aspiration.

Singh reiterated India’s unwavering claim over PoK, underscoring its historical, present, and perpetual ownership. Emphasizing the amelioration in the Jammu and Kashmir scenario, he hinted at forthcoming assembly elections without tethering to a specific timeframe.

In discussing the potential revocation of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh deferred to the Home Ministry’s jurisdiction, suggesting an evolving landscape conducive to its sunset. The Act, synonymous with security forces’ expansive powers, including warrantless arrests and shoot-to-kill provisions, could ostensibly yield to a more normalized milieu.

Touching upon Pakistan’s perpetuation of cross-border terrorism, Singh reiterated India’s resolve against destabilizing machinations. The fraught relations between India and Pakistan, exacerbated by retaliatory airstrikes post-Pulwama attack and subsequent constitutional alterations in Jammu and Kashmir, continue to underscore the regional volatility.

Rajnath Singh’s discourse spanned a myriad of subjects, including the contentious debate precipitated by the Congress over constitutional amendments, reservation policies, and the strategic imperatives concerning tri-services and maritime security.