Overview
- Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday at Kargil Vijay Diwas in Dras that India will hold no talks with Pakistan except on Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir, which he called an integral part of India illegally occupied by Pakistan.
- Singh invoked Operation Sindoor, the May 2025 cross‑border campaign, to argue India now has the deterrent and will treat Pakistan’s military and militant groups as indistinguishable when responding to threats.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office called the remarks 'highly provocative and irresponsible' and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said such rhetoric cannot alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir under UN Security Council resolutions.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi used national remarks at the same observance to highlight India’s push for defence indigenisation—officials say about 65 percent domestic sourcing—and recent exports and tests, including BrahMos/Astra ties with Indonesia and DRDO trials.
- The exchanges on July 26–27 have raised diplomatic tensions through strong public statements and formal protests but the sources report no confirmed new military escalation, and analysts say the rhetoric narrows space for bilateral dialogue and could draw more international attention to Kashmir.