On Kargil Vijay Diwas, Rajnath Singh Warns Pakistan: No Talks Beyond PoK

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that India will hold no talks with Pakistan except on the issue of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), which he described as a part of India illegally occupied by Pakistan. Speaking at the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas commemoration in Dras, he warned that any misadventure by Pakistan would be met with a response 'beyond their imagination'.

Mr. Singh addressed military personnel and veterans at the Kargil War Memorial, where he laid a wreath and paid homage to the soldiers who died during the 1999 Operation Vijay. He was joined by Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth and other senior officers.

The Defence Minister referred to Operation Sindoor, conducted in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025. He said the operation clearly demonstrated the fate awaiting those who threaten India with terrorism. 'Operation Sindoor made it clear what the fate will be of those who attempt to threaten India with terrorism,' he stated.

Mr. Singh criticised Pakistan for making terrorism a part of its state policy. He contrasted India's progress in innovation and shipbuilding with Pakistan's focus on infiltration and terror design. 'While we are finding new ways of innovation, Pakistan is seeking new ways of infiltration,' he added.

Describing India's victory in the Kargil war as 'a diamond studded in the crown of Bharat Mata,' Mr. Singh reiterated that the Indian armed forces have the capacity to respond decisively to any challenge to the nation's sovereignty and integrity.

Kargil Vijay Diwas marks the culmination of Operation Vijay, India's military operation to reclaim the heights of Kargil after Pakistani infiltration, which ended on this day in 1999.