NEW DELHI, January 14: Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat has threatened to intensify military operations in occupied Kashmir to suppress freedom struggle and to pile up pressure on Pakistan.
In an interview with Press Trust of India, General Bipin said he favored ramping up military offensive to pile up heat on Pakistan to, what he said, ‘stop cross-border terrorism’.
He said political initiative must go hand-in-hand with military operations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir to bring peace.
Gen. Rawat said the Indian armed forces operating in held Kashmir cannot be ‘status quoist’ and must evolve new strategies and tactics to deal with the situation. India has been using brute force to quell freedom movement. Indiscriminate killings, mass arrests and use of pellet guns against unarmed Kashmiri youths has not deter them to stage forceful anti demonstrations in the held valley against Indian occupation. Earlier on Friday, the 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 government. Pakistan strongly reacted to Indian army chief’s bluster. Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor warned of response if India undertook any misadventure. – Agencies
