Rawat said the focus should be taken away from J&K, placed on the other side
Agencies
New Delhi, September 23:
Reiterating India’s tough line on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Army chief General Bipin Rawat has claimed the force had war-gamed possible action in PoK and had prepared plans for it.
Rawat made the revelation in an interaction with Economic Times in Delhi on Sunday. Rawat declared, “The Army’s 15 Corps performs war games and it is not only on defending land. Some of them would involve going across (to PoK). Even 14 Corps does such war games. So, there are plans.”
Rawat also declared the “focus” should now be taken away from Jammu and Kashmir and be placed on the “other side”. “It is important to take the heat off J&K. It would have to be taken to the other side—PoK and Gilgit Baltistan,” Rawat told Economic Times.
Rawat also downplayed Pakistan’s conventional military capabilities, telling Economic Times Pakistan is not “strong conventionally”. “Pakistan will avoid conventional and increase proxy. He will incite us through proxy and compel us to take action. He wants attention and third-party or multiple party intervention,” Rawat noted.
Since the Narendra Modi government abrogated provisions of Article 370 on August 5, several members of the Modi government have publicly talked of India taking back PoK. PoK was occupied by Pakistan after the first war between the two countries in late 1947.
Earlier in September, Rawat himself had said the Army was “always ready” for action in PoK, once the government issued orders for it. “The next agenda is retrieving PoK and making it a part of India. The government takes actions in such matters. The institutions of the country will work as per the orders of the government. The Army is always ready,” Rawat had then told ANI.
Previously, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh had publicly spoken of the return of PoK to Indian sovereignty. On Sunday, Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy declared at an event in Kakkinada that the Modi government would take a decision on PoK at the right time, in a manner similar to the abrogation of Article 370.
