The road to Karachi goes through Sir Creek, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday, in an apparent warning to Pakistan against any “misadventure” across the border in Gujarat.“Let us remember that in the 1965 war, the Indian Army had reached Lahore. And in 2025, Pakistan should remember that the road to Karachi goes through Sir Creek,” Singh said while speaking to senior military commanders at the Lakki Nala Military Garrison in the larger Sir Creek area of Kutch district.The Defence Minister issued the warning in context of military infrastructure being set up by Pakistan along the Sir Creek area, which has remained in dispute after seven decades of Independence. Singh said, “Even after so many years of Independence, a border issue is brought up on Sir Creek. India has tried diplomacy several times to solve the issue but Pakistan has malafide intentions (niyat me khot). The way Pakistan has set up military infrastructure in the Sir Creek area shows its intention.”Singh carried out Shashtra Puja on the occasion of Vijaydashami (Dussehra) and observed a multi-agency capability exercise by the armed forces stationed at this border. The Defence Minister is on a two-day visit to Bhuj, which kicked off on Wednesday with a cultural programme and a meeting with soldiers.He said, “The Armed Forces and Border Security Force (BSF) are protecting India’s borders very well. If Pakistan tries any misadventure in the Sir Creek area, it will get such a strong response that both history and geography will be changed. Let us remember that in the 1965 war, the Indian Army had reached Lahore. And in 2025, Pakistan should remember that the road to Karachi goes through Sir Creek.”Regarding joint operations of the armed forces, the minister said, “Our land, air, naval forces and the BSF are pillars of our strength. It is only when they work together that we can rise to all challenges. Our government is constantly emphasising on the ‘jointness’ of our forces. We saw an example of this during the ‘Varunastra’ exercise here today. It was also this very jointness that gave success to Operation Sindoor in record time.”‘Fight against terrorism remains constant’On Operation Sindoor, the Union minister said, “During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan made a failed attempt to thwart India’s defence system from Leh to Sir Creek. Meanwhile, the Indian armed forces, in response, completely exposed Pakistan’s air defence system and gave a message to the world that India can inflict heavy damage to Pakistan whenever and wherever it wants. And in spite of this, we held back because our fight was against terrorists. The aim of Operation Sindoor was never to wage war. I’m happy that the Indian armed forces met all the military objectives of Operation Sindoor successfully. But our fight against terrorism remains constant.”Story continues below this adThe minister, along with generals, carried out Shashtra Puja during which they offered prayers over a range of weapons. Singh said, “We have never considered weapons as a means of violence, or mere tools or just a show of force… but we believe that they are a means to establish ‘dharma’. Lord Ram killed Ravana with his bow, Goddess Durga killed demons with her shastra (weapon), Lord Krishna killed adharmis (those who are unrighteous) with his Sudarshan Chakra. We pray over shastras, we also pledge that they will be used only to establish dharma and nyaya (righteousness and justice).”Singh said that the goals of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna weren’t to win their respective wars, but establish Dharma. “However, sankalp (resolve) is not enough to establish Dharma. You need strength as well and that is possible only through shastra. Praying over them (the weapons) is also praying for our soldiers who wield them. In Operation Sindoor, the whole world experienced that Bharat doesn’t just pray over shastras, but also knows how to use them,” he said.On the balance between shaastra (scriptures) and shastra, Singh said, “If you see our deities, they all have shaastra in one hand and shastra in the other. They tell us that the former can only be defended by the latter and knowledge will be lost if not protected. Similarly, if we only have the latter and no guiding knowledge, then strength will turn to anarchy. It is the balance of both that makes our civilisation timeless and eternal.”Referring to Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said that the country is now not only a consumer, but a manufacturer and exporter of weapons.Story continues below this adOn modern military challenges, Singh said, “The role of shashtra is very important for a large and diverse country like ours. Because the challenges on our borders have never been easy. And these challenges show up in different ways. There are challenges on the northern border. The threat of terrorism on the western border remains ongoing. Strategic challenges are also emerging in the Indian Ocean. Sometimes, these challenges come as external attacks, sometimes as terrorist attacks, and nowadays as cyberwar and information war.”On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Singh said, “Mahatma Gandhi didn’t have any weapon other than willpower and yet he defeated the most powerful empire of that day.”