Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Raheel Sharif on Friday warned India against any misadventure, saying Pakistan cannot be coerced by any amount of malicious propaganda. According to ISPR, the CoAS visited a newly-developed Combat Reaction Training facility in the close vicinity of Lahore Garrison where he was given a detailed briefing on the purpose built environment/obstacles meant to impart module based all arms training to mechanised troops.
While talking to troops, General Sharif exhorted all commanders to lay more emphasis on combat readiness emphasising that training in peace time is the only guarantor of averting and winning a war, if imposed. While expressing his complete satisfaction over operational preparedness of the army, the army chief said that the highest state of vigil is being maintained along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary all along our international border.
"Any misadventure by our adversary will meet the most befitting response from Pakistan. Pakistan cannot be coerced through any amount of malicious propaganda," he stated in an apparent warning to India. The latest statement comes following India's claim that it successfully conducted 'surgical strikes' inside Azad Kashmir and destroyed several 'terrorist launching pads'. However, Pakistan army and the Foreign Office rubbished the Indian claims, saying only cease-fire violation was committed by the Indian forces, which are periodically committed by the Indian forces.
As tension escalated, military sources said that the government has moved additional troops to the Eastern border. The sources further said that the major threat of India aggression is along the Ravi Chenab Corridor (RCC) and to cope with any aggression some of our army units have been moved to the LoC and to the forward cantonments as per the latest doctrine and threat assessment.
"When escalation takes place, the entire border is made active and forces occupy battle positions," a military official said while requesting anonymity. About the Thursday incident on the LoC, he said the border from Sialkot to Poonch sector is quite vulnerable and infiltration of Indian army has been witnessed in recent days at four places including Chamb, Lipa and the Neelum valley. He said two army units engaged in cross-fire in which three soldiers along with one non-commissioned officer were killed due to mortar shelling.
The military officer further said that six Indian army soldiers were also killed in exchange of fire and their bodies are still lying on the LoC opposite Tatta Pani. All political parties in Pakistan have strongly condemned LoC violations by the Indian forces and called for unity in our ranks to defeat any foreign aggression. To discuss the current situation and give a unanimous stance against Indian aggression, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has convened a meeting of the heads of parliamentary parties on Monday at the PM House. The sources said the heads of parliamentary parties will also be given a briefing on the situation in the Indian-held Kashmir and the present security situation on the LoC.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, took to twitter and stated that his party has demanded an all-party conference (APC) on the current situation. "It is the government's [rulers] job to forge national unity at this time. Politics can wait for another day," he tweeted. PTI chairman Imran Khan who condemned the Indian violation of cease-fire at the LoC said he would be giving a 'strong' statement against the Indian provocations at his Lahore rally.
Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan said his party strongly condemns the latest Indian attack on LoC resulting in casualties of the personnel of the Pakistan army and called upon the two countries to avoid escalation. In a statement, he said that Pakistan should also avoid a reaction that can lead to escalation, which is something that both the countries cannot afford. "We are of the considered opinion that Indian action will not help in defusing the already tense situation. Both countries should avoid a slippery slope that can threaten the very existence of about 1.5 billion people of the two countries," he added.
He said that ANP was seriously concerned over deterioration in Pakistan and Indian relations and called upon the leadership of the two countries to ensure restraint on the borders. Referring to the postponement of SAARC Summit, the ANP chief said that refusal of four countries to attend the summit in Islamabad should be a wake-up call for Pakistan. "How can the region embark on the path to economic development with the almost dysfunctional regional cooperation?" he asked, adding postponement of the Summit was a serious setback for regional cooperation in South Asia. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Faisal Sabzwari said the entire nation was supporting the Pakistan army, adding that any kind of misadventure on the border would endanger peace of the entire region.
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