Pakistan has no locus standi on Kashmir, says Rajnath Singh during DRDO's Kisan-Jawan Vigyan Mela in Ladakh

Pakistan has no locus standi on Kashmir and no country is backing it on the “current issue”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday amid Islamabad’s efforts to internationalise Centre’s move to abrogate provisions of Article 370. Addressing a DRDO event in Leh, Singh asked how India can talk to Pakistan when it keeps trying to destabilise India using terror.

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

Singh targeted Pakistan over its objection to the recent abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which was decided by the Centre along with the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Defending the decision, Singh said, “Abrogating Article 370 was our commitment. It is not an arbitrary decision. We have not fooled the people of the country. This has been our commitment from our Jan Sangh days. And the people of Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh are happy with this.” For LIVE updates on Kashmir, click here Pakistan should focus on addressing human rights violations and atrocities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the Union minister said. “I do not know why Pakistan is reacting in such a way. It is like ‘begani shadi mein abdullah deewana’,” reported News18. “They should first look at terrorism blooming in their country. They should not cry about Kashmir and should look at the human rights violations in PoK,” he said, referring to ‘Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir’, the area of the state that is in Pakistan’s control. Reiterating India’s stand that peace talks with Pakistan will only be possible after the neighbour tackles the issue of cross-border terrorism, Singh tweeted, “How can we talk to Pakistan when it keeps trying to destabilise India by using terror. We want to have a good neighbourly relationship with Pakistan. It should first stop exporting terror to India.” “I want to ask Pakistan, when was Kashmir a part of Pakistan that they are crying over it so much? We respect Pakistan’s identity as a nation, but it has no locus standi in this matter,” he said. He also said that PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan are also a part of India, as quoted by News18. [caption id=“attachment_7247671” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Defense minister Rajnath Singh in Leh. ANI[/caption] He further maintained that the Narendra Modi-led government had “respected public sentiment” for the creation of a Union Territory in Ladakh. “When we made Ladakh a separate UT by enacting a law in Parliament, we respected the public sentiment here and gave solutions to the problems. Our Prime Minister has made it clear that we will bring Localized Solution for Strategic Areas of India,” he said in a tweet. “I want to ask Pakistan, when had Kashmir belonged to it. Kashmir was always part of India,” he said. “Pakistan too is made out of this India. And just because we respect its existence, doesn’t mean it will continue making (instigating) remarks about Kashmir.” Singh said US defence secretary Mark Esper during a telephonic conversation told him that abrogation of provisions of Article 370 was an internal matter of India. “No country is with Pakistan on the current issue,” Singh said. With inputs from agencies.