New Delhi: The Indian Army will take appropriate action to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) if it receives orders to that effect, Army chief General M.M. Naravane said Saturday.
Naravane, in his first press conference after taking over as the Army chief last month, recalled the 1994 Parliament resolution, which stated that the whole of Jammu and Kashmir belonged to India, including PoK.
“The Parliament had adopted a resolution that the entire state of erstwhile J&K belongs to us. If the Parliament orders to reclaim PoK, appropriate actions will be initiated,” he said.
On the question on Pakistan’s Border Action Team allegedly killing two porters at the Line of Control Friday, one of whom was allegedly mutilated, Naravane said that a professional army does not resort to such barbaric acts and the Army “will deal appropriately with such situations in a military manner”.
According to reports, the head of one of the porters was missing and is believed to have been taken away by the BAT personnel.
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1994 resolution
The Indian Parliament had unanimously adopted a resolution on 22 February 1994, declaring that Pakistan must vacate parts of Jammu and Kashmir under its occupation.
The resolution read, “…[This House] expresses regret and concern at the pitiable conditions and violations of human rights and denial of demoractic freedoms of the people in those areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, which are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan”.
It added, “The State of Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall be an integral part of India and any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country will be resisted by all necessary means.”
The resolution also called for Pakistan to vacate the areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir “which they have occupied through aggression.”
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PoK should belong to India, if it wants
Naravane said that if Parliament wants PoK, then it should belong to India.
He had earlier told a news channel that the Army was ready to conduct larger-scale operations in PoK if it is ordered to do so.
Multiple people, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, have made statements regarding the reclamation of PoK after the revocation Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August last year.
Jaishankar had said that PoK is a part of India, and India expects physical jurisdiction over it one day.