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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday expressed confidence in India getting back control of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) without taking any aggressive steps, as the people in the region itself have been demanding freedom from the current administration.
"PoK will be ours on its own. Demands have started being made in PoK, you must have heard sloganeering," the Minister said during his interaction with the Indian community in Morocco. Singh added that he had repeated the same five years ago, while addressing an Indian Army program in Jammu and Kashmir. "I was addressing the Indian Army at a program in Kashmir Valley five years ago, I had then said that we will not need to attack and capture PoK, it is anyway ours; PoK itself will say, 'Main bhi Bharat Hoon'. That day will come," the Defence Minister said. The minister's remarks come after it was alleged that the Central government had "missed the chance" to capture PoK during Operation Sindoor on May 7. Multiple leaders of various opposition parties criticised the Central government for agreeing to a 'ceasefire' despite India having the upper hand after Operation Sindoor downed multiple Pakistani jets, claiming that there was a chance to capture the Pakistani-occupied territory. The Defence minister is on a two-day visit to Morocco where he is set to inaugurate the Tata Advanced Systems' new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 at Berrechid, making it the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa. This is the first-ever visit by a Indian Defence Minister to Morocco. The minister hailed the new facility in Morocco as an important milestone that reflects the growing global footprint of India's defence industry. Singh will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Moroccan counterpart Abdeltif Loudiyi. India and Morocco are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Defence during Rajnath Singh's visit. The memorandum will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages. Indian Navy ships have been making regular port calls at Casablanca in recent years, and this agreement will further consolidate such ties. (ANI)
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