Saturday, January 12, 2013

Pakistan troops build up on border


Pakistan troops build up on border mounts tension

13th January 2013 08:32 AM
Pakistan seems to be getting ready for a limited war along the LoC. Leave has been cancelled in all formations on the northern border with India.
Even as Indian Air Chief NAK Browne, declared that India would consider “other options” if Pakistan continued to violate the ceasefire agreement Islamabad summoned the Indian ambassador on Friday to protest against “unacceptable and unprovoked” attacks by the Indian army, which, they allege has killed two Pakistani soldiers in the past five days in Kashmir.  Meanwhile, the terrorist leader, and Jamat-ud-Dawah chief Hafeez Saeed-who carries a $ 10 million bounty on his head for his role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks-warned India that it was trying to destabilise Pakistan and that the violence in Kashmir could turn ‘ugly’. “We do not want any force to be used or any military operation for this. But the Indians are opting for the other alternative,” said the terror chief. He accused Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde of lying that he was in the LoC area just before two Indian soldiers were beheaded by Pakistani rangers.
“War cannot be ruled out,” says a retired Indian Intelligence officer who continues to be a respected Pakistan watcher even after retirement. “One needs to study the pattern,” he said, requesting anonymity, noting that a localised conflict in 1965 had escalated into a full blown war as Pakistan had a different game plan then and the 2013 developments may even be an “yesterday once again” for India.
About 3.5 lakh Indian troops are deployed in the border state of Jammu and Kashmir, where it has fought three bloody wars with Pakistan since 1947 and a sector war in Kargil in 1999. At the Poonch sector where the present aggressive posturing has its origins, Pakistan has deployed two Brigades numbering about 10,000 troops. India has three brigades of about 15,000 soldiers on the ground in the sector. Defence and intelligence sources say that Pakistan has sounded the red alert all along the 778-km line of control (LOC), in a throwback to the post-2001 Indian Parliament terror attacks days. India had launched Operation Parakram by mobilizing the army to mass at the border.
Despite resolute statements by the defense minister AK Antony and the air force chief, the Indian Army is yet to mobilise troops, even as it prepares to observe the Army Day, a major event in its calendar, next Tuesday.
Pakistan is waging war against India on the diplomatic front as well. Its military and its foreign office has been trying to internationalise the present conflict by demanding a UN probe into the incidents, which India has promptly rejected. The Pakistan army has repeatedly issued statements blaming India for firing at its positions. Pak Foreign Minsiter Hina Rabbani Khar has sought UN intervention.

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