Pakistan must turn into a secular state to better its ties with India, said Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday. He was delivering a lecture during the National Defence Academy (NDA) passing out parade ceremony in Pune.
“Pakistan is an Islamic State. They must willingly become a secular country like us. If they have to stay hand-in-gloves with us, they have to develop themselves as a secular state,” General Rawat said.
General Rawat's statement comes amid Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressing willingness for greater engagement with India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday acknowledged that it was not in the country’s interest to allow its soil to be used for terrorism. Khan said he is ready to talk to PM Narendra Modi at “any time”.
General Rawat said he feels that Pakistan's claim of taking strong steps towards good bilateral relations is contradictory unless there is a direct impact visible on the ground about its claims.
The Army Chief added that a positive step from Pakistan is what is needed presently because India has a clear policy that terror and talks cannot go together.
Talking about the induction of women in the Indian Army in a front-line combat role, General Rawat said, "You will see an increase in the role of women in armed forces. We have not yet taken them in the front-line combat role. We feel we are not yet ready. Western nations are more open. Boys and girls are operating together in big cities here but people in the Army do not only come from big cities."
He said keeping women officers in fields like language interpreter and military diplomacy would be more beneficial. "We are seeing if women can be given Permanent Commission. In some fields where we need permanency and male officers in a command-oriented Army don't fit everywhere, keeping women officers will be beneficial," he said.
(With ANI inputs)