Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that Pakistan is attempting to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir through its “bleed India with a thousand cuts” approach, PTI reported.

The Indian armed forces will give a befitting reply to Pakistan if it tries to “hurt the unity and integrity” of the country, Singh said.

“Our neighbour has always resorted to anti-India activities,” Singh said. “The state also witnessed terror activities in the past.”

Singh made the statement while addressing the armed forces in Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir. He is on a two-day visit to the Union Territory to interact with the troops in forward areas and assess the security situation in the region.

‘Cutting ties with India not in Pakistan’s interest’

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Islamabad and New Delhi should renew their engagement, PTI reported.

Cutting ties with New Delhi will not be in the interest of Islamabad as Pakistan was “already internationally isolated and disengaged”, he said. He blamed the previous Imran Khan government’s flawed policies for this.

Bhutto-Zardari made the statement while addressing an event at Islamabad’s Institute of Strategic Studies.

“We have our issues with India,” he said. “Pakistan and India have a long history of war, conflict. Today, where we have serious disputes, the events of August 2019 cannot be taken lightly.”

He was referring to the Centre’s decision on August 5, 2019, to revoke Article 370, which turned Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory. Pakistan had condemned the m.

The Pakistan Foreign ministry had said that Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory that was internationally recognised, adding that they “would exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps”.

On Thursday, Bhutto-Zardari said that the recent delimitation exercise of Jammu and Kashmir and the remarks made by two BJP spokespersons on Prophet Muhammad make it difficult for Pakistan to re-engage with India. But it is not impossible, he clarified.

“We don’t have a trading relationship with the east [India] and many will argue absolutely we should not,” Bhutto-Zardari said, reported PTI. “The environment is not as such, given these outrageous assaults on our principles it would be inappropriate for Pakistan to take such a step.”

He said that Pakistan could have built strong economic engagement with India during his mother Benazir Bhutto’s first term as prime minister in 1988.