Rajnath Singh Asserts PoK Will Reunite with India 'By Choice, Not Force'
- Singh reaffirmed emotional and cultural ties with PoK, expressing confidence in voluntary integration.
- He asserted that India’s decisive actions, like Operation Sindoor, have raised the cost of sponsoring terrorism.
- With India now the 4th-largest economy, Singh emphasized CII’s vital role in navigating future challenges.
Delivering a resolute message to India’s adversaries, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) remains an integral part of India and expressed confidence that its people will one day voluntarily rejoin the Indian mainstream.
Speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025, Singh said, “The people of PoK still share a deep emotional and cultural bond with India. They are not strangers they are family. Guided by self-respect, conscience, and free will, they will one day return to us. This will not be achieved by force, but by choice”.
Singh also delivered a scathing critique of Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism, declaring that such tactics are no longer viable. “Pakistan has now realised that running terrorism is not cost-effective it comes with a very heavy price”, he stated. He cited the success of Operation Sindoor, in which Indian forces targeted and dismantled terror bases and military installations deep in enemy territory. “We could have done much more, but by balancing strength with restraint, we set a powerful example before the world”, Singh added.
Highlighting India’s economic trajectory, Singh noted that the country is now the world’s fourth-largest economy and is rapidly moving toward the third spot. “As India rises on the global economic stage, the role of industry becomes even more significant. The nation looks to CII and Indian industry with immense hope and expectation”, he concluded.
The speech underscored India’s blend of strategic strength and visionary unity under the ethos of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.’
