ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army has not moved additional troops to its side of the disputed Kashmir border, circumspect of provocative threats in the aftermath of the vehicle-borne suicide attack in Pulwama district in the Indian administered Kashmir last week that killed over 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, officials said Tuesday.
However, “we have been on high alert for the last four months,” a senior military official told Arab News on condition of anonymity. He added that Pakistan feared an incident of this nature could happen “across the LoC (line of control)” and India on that “pretext would act against us.”
“There is no major movement of troops from either side anywhere along the border,” he said but cautioned that all options were being exercised in the event a retaliatory move is made by the Indian armed forces against Pakistan.
New Delhi claims Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) conducted the attack. Indian media launched a malicious campaign against its western neighbor parallel to Indian state officials blaming Islamabad but has not provided evidence against the serious allegation of state sponsored terrorism by Pakistan.
Instead, Indian PM Narendra Modi’s BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) led government has resorted to intimidation tactics, threatening Pakistan of repeating its highly controversial 2016 surgical strike allegedly conducted against its nuclear armed neighbor to send a signal “that if you carry out such acts, we will not hesitate to cross the border and destroy terror camps,” a statement made last year by India’s army chief Bipin Rawat adding, “But if the messaging did not have the desired effect, then it’s time to raise the ante.” Pakistan has rejected the Indian claim of such strikes on its soil.
In response to surgical strikes, he said India has no room to take such measures when both are sides sitting “eye ball to eye ball”, close enough to monitor movements adding “there is no question a surgical strike happens and we don’t notice.”
“After much deliberations,” Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a televised address to the nation sent a strong message against Indian threats that his country is fully prepared to retaliate if attacked.
Following the terror attack, New Delhi upped the ante with its media, increasing the verbal bashing of Pakistan. It banned release of its Bollywood flicks in Pakistan. Indians are largely using social media to hurl abuse against Pakistanis. Indian cricket stars have called for Pakistan cricket boycott while Indian media industry has banned Pakistani singers and actors and angry politicians in New Delhi are demanding military strike.
Though Pakistan armed forces at the disputed Kashmir border remain at heightened security, there has been no escalation in skirmishes following the attack according to officials who spoke to Arab News. The Inter services Public Relations (ISPR), however, declined to comment.
International relations expert Professor Dr. Zafar Jaspal pointing to the upcoming elections in India and BJP’s anti-Pakistan rhetoric to attract voters, told Arab News that Pakistan should be prepared for Indian aggression especially as Modi government’s term nears end.
In a letter to the United Nations Secretary General, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the UN to take notice of deteriorating security situation and the threat to use force against Pakistan by India.
He said for domestic political reasons, India has deliberately ratcheted up its hostile rhetoric against Pakistan and abandoned the Indus Waters Treaty.
“It is imperative to take steps for de-escalation. The United Nations must step in to defuse tensions,” Qureshi said.