Talks with Pakistan only on PoK: Rajnath Singh

Kalka (Haryana), Aug 18 (IANS) Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that talks would be held with Pakistan only on Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"If talks are held with Pakistan, it will now be on PoK," he said in a public address after flagging off of the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' here, some 20 kms from Chandigarh.

The Yatra, being held in the run upto Haryana's upcoming Assembly elections, will pass through the state's 90 Assembly seats and conclude with a rally in Rohtak on September 8.

BJP's state election-in-charge and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Cabinet colleagues attended the flagging off of the Yatra.

Referring to August 5 abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, he said it was done for the development of the state.

"Our neighbour is knocking on the doors of the international community saying India made a mistake. Talks with Pakistan will be held only if it stops supporting terror," he categorically said.

He said a few days ago Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told his country that India was planning to take an action bigger than Balakot. "So Pakistan PM does acknowledge what India did in Balakot," he said.