Pak forces support infiltration, says defence minister

India on Wednesday raised its pitch against Pakistan and directly accused the neighbouring country’s armed forces of supporting infiltration attempts by terrorists.

Expressing New Delhi’s concerns over “unusual” ceasefire violations by the armed forces of Pakistan along the undisputed stretches of border, Defence Minister A K Antony said the Indian Army and other border guarding forces had the capability, commitment and freedom to deal with any eventuality.

“On Pakistan side, border is completely guarded by Pakistani Army and Rangers. How can terrorists try to infiltrate into India without the knowledge and support of Pakistan? How can the terrorists embolden to increase the attempt to infiltrate without the tacit or sometimes open support of their armed forces? That is a question worrying us,” Antony told journalists after inaugurating a conference on “India and South Asia: Exploring Regional Perceptions” at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi.

The defence minister’s tough-talk came just a month after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart M Nawaz Sharif in New York on September 29.

The two sides had agreed that truce violations should be stopped and peace and tranquility should be maintained along the border. But the hope for a thaw was belied as Pakistani soldiers continued to open fire on the Indian Army and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.

Antony said the Pakistani Army in the past had violated ceasefire only along the Line of Control, but the soldiers of the neighbouring country were this year also flouting truce along the international boundary or the undisputed stretches of the border.

The terrorists crossing over from Pakistan to India these days were found to be better-equipped to sustain longer in the event of firefights with the Indian Army and the BSF personnel.

“This means this is going on with the support of elements across the border. I am sure that nothing can happen there without the knowledge and tacit or sometimes open support of Pakistan,” he said.

India recorded at least 236 incidents of ceasefire violations by the Pakistani Army and border guards along the LoC and the IB during the current year.

He said: “We are repeatedly saying that India wants improvement in relations (with Pakistan). If they are sincere in their attempts, how can infiltration bids increase?”
A junior commissioned officer of the Indian Army was killed by the mortars fired by Pakistani troops at Uri in Kashmir on Monday. A BSF soldier was killed at Chenaz in Jammu on October 22 last.

Earlier, killing of five Indian soldiers by a group comprising Pakistani Army regulars and terrorists near the LoC at Poonch in Kashmir on August 6 last cast a shadow on Singh-Sharif meeting in New York.

The two prime ministers had agreed that India’s director-general military operations   and his Pakistani counterpart would meet to discuss effective means to restore ceasefire.