India’s Muscle Flexing against Pakistan on the LoC

The Indian Defense Minister Arun Jatley visited the frontlines on the currently active Line of Control (LoC). After meeting field commanders and troops deployed on the Forward Defended Localities (FDLs), he expressed his satisfaction over the morale of the troops and called upon them to maintain heightened vigil. Besides, he lauded the aggressive dominance posture and instructed the fighting formations to give a befitting response to Pakistan.

Indian Defence Minister Arun Jatley and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat arrived Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to review the security situation amid heightened tension on the Line of Control (LoC) and student unrest in the valley.

Given the urgency of the situation, Arun Jatley advanced his visit by a day since he was otherwise scheduled to chair the two-day long Goods and Services Tax (GST) council meeting beginning in New Delhi on Thursday.

This comes at a time when incidents of cross-LoC firing have increased. According to the Indian media, Pakistan violated the ceasefire again on Wednesday. Allegedly Pakistan fired on forward posts in the Balakote sector of Jammu of Kashmir.

India could well be playing this up so as to give a “foreign” touch to the simmering trouble in the Kashmir valley. Delhi has continued to attribute the degeneration of the situation in the valley to Pakistan. A hot LoC gives India a point to drive home its point.

“Pakistan army resorted to firing on forward posts along the LoC in Balakote sector from 0050 hours today,” a defense spokesman said.

The spokesman also stated that the Pakistan army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatic weapons and 82 mm and 120 mm mortars last night along the LoC in Nowshera sector.

India had claimed that Pakistan violated the ceasefire on 15th and 13th May, targeting civilian population too.

Pakistan also complained of Ceasefire violations. Three civilians, including two women were injured in unprovoked India firing in the Baroh Sector along the LoC. The injured were identified as Zamurd Begum, Shazia Parveen and Muhammad Inzimam, an ISPR statement issued on Saturday evening said. Three more civilians, identified as Haji Muhammad Younis, Rehana Bibi and Samina Begum were injured.

Army Chief General Bajwa visited the LoC and lauded the effective response given to Indian violations. Pakistan warned India of dire consequence of further provocations.

“Indian Army has been targeting innocent civilians on both sides of Line of Control in recent past. Any misadventure by Indian Army across Line of Control will be a miscalculation, shall be responded with full force and could lead to unintended consequences,” the ISPR press release said.

The LoC has remained heated since India claimed that the Pakistan army beheaded two of its soldiers on 1st May. The unusual and seemingly inconceivable event was taken up to create a war hysteria with top Indian officials calling for a tit for tat response.