Jammu and Kashmir / When was Kashmir Pakistan's, why does it keep crying: Rajnath

Leh: Maintaining a tough stand on Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday warned it to not indulge in unsubstantiated and vitriolic talk on Jammu and Kashmir. Reiterating that Kashmir Valley is an integral part of India, Singh said that Pakistan has no locus standi on the region and should not be under any illusion about the same.

"Pakistan has no Locus Standi in Kashmir. The country is illegally occupying Gilgit-Baltistan along with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Our Parliament had in 1994 unanimously passed a resolution that the entire Kashmir valley belongs to India and our stand on it is clear. I want to ask Pakistan - when was Kashmir with Pakistan? Pakistan was created out of India. We respect the existence of Pakistan. But it does not mean that Pakistan can speak anything that it wants to about Kashmir. Kashmir will always remain with India and it should have no doubt about it. Pakistan should ensure that the human rights of the people living in PoK is not violated," Singh tweeted while attending a programme in Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

The Defence Minister is touring Ladakh, the newly created Union Territory of India, where he inaugurated the Kisan-Jawan Vigyan Mela organised by Defence Research and Development Organisation.

The warning from the Defence Minister came hours after Pakistan test-fired surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi. Pakistan's Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor confirming the development through a tweet on Thursday, which also included a video of the launch. 

The missile is capable of delivering multiple types of warheads upto 290 kilometers.

"Pakistan successfully carried out night training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, capable of delivering multiple types of warheads upto 290 KMs. CJCSC & Services Chiefs congrat team. President & PM conveyed appreciation to team & congrats to the nation," Ghafoor tweeted.

Pakistan has adopted a high-pitched vitriolic diatribe against India ever since PM Narendra Modi-led government abrogated Article 370 and Article 35A from Jammu and Kashmir which ended the former state's special status.