Jammu and Kashmir attack had full fire support of Pakistan: DGMO

Director General of Military Operations Lt General A K Bhatt talks to his Pakistani counterpart, who denies India’s charge and asks for proof to support allegation

NEW DELHI: Conveying serious concerns over the killing of two soldiers and mutilation of the bodies in Krishna Ghati sector on Monday, the Indian Army on Tuesday told Pakistan that its action merits “unequivocal condemnation and response.”  

With this stern message, Indian Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt General AK Bhatt informed his Pakistani counterpart that “full fire” support was provided by Pakistan Army during the attack on the Indian patrol.  Incidentally, local commanders of both armies had talked to each other on Monday night.

Pakistan DGMO Major General Shahir Shamshad, however, denied the charge and asked Bhatt to provide “actionable” evidence about the cross-border raid and warned of appropriate response if India continued to target Pakistan Army posts along the Line of Control (LOC).

The two DGMOs talked to each other on the hotline in the afternoon following a request made by India.  The two officials, generally, hold parleys on every Wednesday as part of confidence building measure.

Top military leadership here in national capital is simultaneously apprehensive about the timing the brutal attack, as track-two diplomacy was initiated by Indian industrialist Sajjan Jindal to bring back both India and Pakistan on discussion table.

“Whenever civilian government makes any effort to initiate dialogue, the Pakistan’s ‘powerful’ military intervenes to disrupt it. After reports of negotiations started to bring two neighbours on talking terms, Pakistan army planned the attack,” said a senior official.

Reviewing the situation on the ground, army chief Gen Bipin Rawat visited the frontier areas in North Kashmir and interacted with commanders and troops deployed along the Line of Control. Accompanied by the Northern Army and Srinagar based Chinar Corps Commanders, the Army Chief was briefed by Formation Commanders on the security situation on the border.

Former defence minister and Congress leader AK Antony said that the incidents of infiltration and mutilation of soldiers’ bodies have increased after Modi took over in 2014. “During my time in eight years, it happened only once but in last three years it has already happened thrice,” Antony said.
Antony’s party colleague Kapil Sibal alleged the Centre had no concrete policy vis-a-vis Pakistan.