ironman
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14 Jul 2009, 1304 hrs IST
In a disturbing development, the Border Security Force in J&K has said the Pakistani army has been building fresh bunkers along the Line of Control and International Border, adding that this activity has been seen to have quickened ever since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
The revelation comes at an inopportune time for Pakistani and Indian diplomats, who are gearing up to resume bilateral talks. Pakistan is also having to maneuver delicately around the issue of the release of JuD chief and 26/11 accused, Hafiz Saeed, with the Punjab Government today (July 14) applying to the apex court to withdraw the petition challenging his release, citing a weak case.
According to the BSF DG, the past six months have witnessed increased pace of bunker building by the Pakistan army along the line of control and the international border, Some of these are as close as 10 metres from the border, thus making it easy to monitor troop movement and other activities on the Indian side.
TIMES NOW correspondent Pradeep Dutta reported that the number of Pakistani bunkers had increased to as many as 320 bunkers in the past six months and that it seemed the Pakistan army was using the opportunity if peace time and ceasefire to construct defence installations. The Indian government, which has dragged its feet for months on the pretext of sorting out the matter through diplomatic channels, needs to take a proactive stance as in case relations between the countries deteriorate in future, these bunkers can be used as launch pads and give the BSF and the Army a tough time, said Dutta.
This news coming as it does after the release of 26/11 accused LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, lends credence to the view that Pakistan is using diversionary tactics to wriggle out of its commitment to bring Saeed to book.
TIMES NOW defence expert Maroof Raza said: The Pakistan civilian government does not have any serious clout in the state of affairs in Pakistan - but the absence of international pressure on Pakistan for the last 2-3 months, has given them an opportunity to wriggle out of the Hafiz Saeed debacle. The fact is that 26/11 mastermind JuD chief Hafiz Saeed was just following the larger strategy put together by the Pakistani military establishment, and the trail of evidence will automatically lead them to indict the Pakistani military. Naturally, they will not come forward with anything worthwhile on the Hafiz front because of this.
Raza was of the opinion that there was nothing to be gained from talking to Pakistan.
I do not understand the urgency of the Indian government to get into dialogue - whether to admonish them or to even look at steps for putting together a composite dialogue. The government has initiated a joint terror mechanism giving Pakistan respectability in approaching the issue of terror from the stand point of a victim alongside India. Now, India should say enough is enough, we will talk only after the 26/11 perpetrators are brought to book. Moreover, it is Pakistans military that is calling the shots in Pakistan. Unless they come forward in talks with India talking to bureaucrats and politicians in Cairo is a farce.
In a disturbing development, the Border Security Force in J&K has said the Pakistani army has been building fresh bunkers along the Line of Control and International Border, adding that this activity has been seen to have quickened ever since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
The revelation comes at an inopportune time for Pakistani and Indian diplomats, who are gearing up to resume bilateral talks. Pakistan is also having to maneuver delicately around the issue of the release of JuD chief and 26/11 accused, Hafiz Saeed, with the Punjab Government today (July 14) applying to the apex court to withdraw the petition challenging his release, citing a weak case.
According to the BSF DG, the past six months have witnessed increased pace of bunker building by the Pakistan army along the line of control and the international border, Some of these are as close as 10 metres from the border, thus making it easy to monitor troop movement and other activities on the Indian side.
TIMES NOW correspondent Pradeep Dutta reported that the number of Pakistani bunkers had increased to as many as 320 bunkers in the past six months and that it seemed the Pakistan army was using the opportunity if peace time and ceasefire to construct defence installations. The Indian government, which has dragged its feet for months on the pretext of sorting out the matter through diplomatic channels, needs to take a proactive stance as in case relations between the countries deteriorate in future, these bunkers can be used as launch pads and give the BSF and the Army a tough time, said Dutta.
This news coming as it does after the release of 26/11 accused LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, lends credence to the view that Pakistan is using diversionary tactics to wriggle out of its commitment to bring Saeed to book.
TIMES NOW defence expert Maroof Raza said: The Pakistan civilian government does not have any serious clout in the state of affairs in Pakistan - but the absence of international pressure on Pakistan for the last 2-3 months, has given them an opportunity to wriggle out of the Hafiz Saeed debacle. The fact is that 26/11 mastermind JuD chief Hafiz Saeed was just following the larger strategy put together by the Pakistani military establishment, and the trail of evidence will automatically lead them to indict the Pakistani military. Naturally, they will not come forward with anything worthwhile on the Hafiz front because of this.
Raza was of the opinion that there was nothing to be gained from talking to Pakistan.
I do not understand the urgency of the Indian government to get into dialogue - whether to admonish them or to even look at steps for putting together a composite dialogue. The government has initiated a joint terror mechanism giving Pakistan respectability in approaching the issue of terror from the stand point of a victim alongside India. Now, India should say enough is enough, we will talk only after the 26/11 perpetrators are brought to book. Moreover, it is Pakistans military that is calling the shots in Pakistan. Unless they come forward in talks with India talking to bureaucrats and politicians in Cairo is a farce.
