New Delhi, May 16: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) risks aiding terrorism by bankrolling Pakistan.
Addressing the air warriors at the Bhuj Air Force Station in Gujarat, the Defence Minister said, ìPakistan has again started to rebuild its terror infrastructure destroyed by India.î
He called upon the IMF to reconsider its US 1 billion dollar assistance to Islamabad and refrain from providing any support in future as well.
Pakistan will spend the tax collected from its citizens to give around Rs 14 crore to Masood Azhar, the head of Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist organisation, even though he is a UN-designated terrorist, Singh said.
He said that the Pakistan government had also announced financial assistance to rebuild the terror infrastructure of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad located in Muridke and Bahawalpur.
ìCertainly, a large part of IMFís US 1 billion dollars assistance will be used to fund the terror infrastructure. Will this not be considered indirect funding by the IMF, an international organisation? Any financial assistance to Pakistan is no less than terror funding,î the Defence Minister said.
He said that the funds India gives to the IMF should not be used, directly or indirectly, to create terror infrastructure in Pakistan or any other country.
Singh said that Indiaís fight against terrorism was not just a matter of security but had now become a part of the national defence doctrine.
We will root out this hybrid and proxy warfare,î he said.
The Defence Minister said that the current ceasefire means that India had kept Pakistan on probation based on its behaviour.
ìIf the behaviour improves, it is fine; but if there is any disturbance, the harshest punishment will be given,î he said.
Singh said that ëOperation Sindoorí was not yet over.
Our actions were just a trailer, we will show the full picture if need be. ëAttacking and eliminating terrorismí is the new normal of the new India,î he said.
The Defence Minister commended the effective role played by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in ëOperation Sindoorí which was being appreciated by the world.
Lauding the air warriors for eliminating the terror camps in Pakistan and PoK in just 23 minutes, he said, ìWhen missiles were dropped inside the enemy territory, the world heard the echoes of Indiaís valour and might.î
Singh said that the IAF spearheaded this campaign against terrorism, and during the operation, it not only dominated the enemy but decimated them.
He said that Indiaís fighter aircraft were capable of striking every corner of Pakistan without crossing the border.
The world has witnessed how IAF destroyed terror camps and later Pakistanís airbases. IAF gave proof that Indiaís war policy and technology have changed. They conveyed the message of new India that we are not just dependent on weapons and platforms imported from abroad, but ëMade in Indiaí equipment has become a part of our military power. The weapons manufactured in India are also impenetrable,î the Defence Minister said.
He said that Pakistan had itself accepted the power of the ëBrahMosí missile.
ìThis ëMade in Indiaí missile showed Pakistan the light of day in the darkness of night,î Singh said and lauded India’s air defence system, in which Akash and other radar systems made by DRDO played a tremendous role.
On his interaction with the soldiers of the Indian Army at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar on Thursday and the air warriors and soldiers in Bhuj on Friday, he said that he was, once again, convinced that Indiaís borders were completely safe.
I have witnessed the highest level of enthusiasm and patriotism among the soldiers on both fronts. What our forces did during ëOperation Sindoorí has filled the country with pride,î the Defence Minister said.
He said that Bhuj had been witness to Indiaís victory over Pakistan in 1965, 1971, and now in 2025.
Singh termed Bhuj as a land of patriotism where soldiers stand tall with an unshakable resolve to protect national interests.
He thanked the air warriors and other soldiers of the Armed Forces and paramilitary BSF for their services to the motherland.
Reiterating the governmentís commitment to continuously equip the armed forces with the latest weapons, platforms, and modern infrastructure, the Defence Minister said a strong nation respects its military and provides it with resources, technology, and every support.
Earlier, he said that India was heavily dependent on imports, but today it was indigenously manufacturing equipment such as artillery systems, radar systems, missile shields, drones, and counter drones.
We are becoming exporters from importers and this is just the beginning,î Singh said.
He said that the people of India, the government, the armed forces, and other security agencies displayed unity and understanding in this fight against terrorism, with every citizen participating like a soldier.
The Defence Minister said that the government and the people stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its forces at every step, expressing confidence that ìtogether, we will completely eradicate terrorism from the region, and no one dares to cast an evil eye on the sovereignty of the nationî.
Earlier, he began his address by paying homage to the people killed in Pahalgam and the soldiers killed during ëOperation Sindoorí. Singh wished a speedy recovery to the injured soldiers. Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and other senior IAF officials were present on the occasion.
