Indian army chief calls for ‘ramping up the heat’ on Pakistan

• Says political initiative must go ‘hand-in-hand’ with military operations in IoK to bring peace

NEW DELHI: In a yet another provocative statement, Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat called for ramping up military offensive to “pile up the heat on Pakistan”.

Talking about India-occupied Kashmir (IoK), Gen Bipin Rawat on Sunday said a political initiative must go “hand-in-hand” with military operations in IoK to bring peace, The Hindu reported.

Gen Rawat said the armed forces operating there must evolve new strategies and tactics to deal with the situation, which he feels is “marginally” better since he took over a year ago.

Talking to a prominent Indian news agency, the Army chief asserted that there was room for “ramping up the heat on Pakistan” to cut the flow of cross-border activities.

“The political initiative and all the other initiatives must go simultaneously hand-in-hand, and only if all of us function in synergy, we can bring lasting peace in Kashmir. It has to be a politico-military approach that we have to adopt,” the Army chief said.

Discussing if there was room for ‘ramping up pressure on Pakistan’, he said, “Yes, you cannot be ‘status quoist’. You have to continuously think and keep moving forward. You have to keep changing your doctrines and concept and the manner in which you operate in such areas.”

He called for evolving new strategies and new tactics to deal with the situation.

Further highlighting Indian Army’s policy on IoK, he said: “Military is only part of the mechanism to resolve the Kashmir issue. Our charter is to ensure that the ‘terrorists’ who are creating violence in the state are taken to task, and those who have been radicalised and are increasingly moving towards terrorism are prevented from doing so,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the spokesperson for the Foreign Office (FO), Dr Mohammad Faisal, on Friday summoned the acting Indian Deputy High Commissioner and protested over the unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian forces.

Hussain Bibi, 65, lost her life on Thursday in Kot Kotera Sector in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) due to the firing of the Indian forces targeting Pakistani check-posts. She was a resident of Peer Khana village, according to a statement released by the FO.

Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations.

Asked whether the situation in India-held Kashmir has improved since he has taken over as the Army chief a year ago, Gen Rawat said, “I am only seeing a marginal change in situation for the better.

“I do not think it is time to become overconfident and start assuming that the situation has been brought under control because infiltration from across the borders will continue.”

Earlier on Friday, Indian army chief said the force was ready to call Pakistan’s “nuclear bluff” and cross the border to carry out any operation if asked by the New Delhi government.

“We will call the [nuclear] bluff of Pakistan. If we will have to really confront the Pakistanis, and a task is given to us, we are not going to say we cannot cross the border because they have nuclear weapons. We will have to call their nuclear bluff,” he added.

Responding to the Indian army chief’s ‘nuclear bluff’ assertion, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor on Saturday said that such irresponsible statements from a person of a responsible stature are deplorable.

On the question of any Indian misadventure against Pakistan, the Pakistani military spokesman said, “Well, it’s their choice. Should they wish to test our resolve they may try and see it for themselves.”

The DG ISPR said that Pakistan has a credible nuclear capability, exclusively meant for a threat from the east. “But we believe it’s a weapon of deterrence, not a choice.”

Getting in on the act, the Foreign Office also responded to the Indian army chief’s statement in strong terms, saying Gen Rawat’s “threatening” remark is “representative of a sinister mindset that has taken hold of India”.

The threatening and irresponsible statement by the Indian Army Chief today is representative of a sinister mindset that has taken hold of India. Pakistan has demonstrated deterrence capability.1/2

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) January 13, 2018

“These are not issues to be taken lightly. There must not be any misadventure based on [a] miscalculation,” FO spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a statement.

These are not issues to be taken lightly. There must not be any misadventure based on miscalculation. Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself. 2/2

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) January 13, 2018