India considering ‘punitive actions’ against Pakistan: claims US official

Says Pakistan taking steps to improve nuclear security and is aware of extremist threat to programme

WASHINGTON: A senior intelligence official from the United States has warned that India is considering punitive actions against Pakistan.

“India has sought and continues to move to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and is considering punitive options to raise the cost to Islamabad for its alleged support to cross-border terrorism,” US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

The Indian army claimed yesterday (Tuesday) that it had destroyed several Pakistani posts across the LoC. However, the Pakistan Army has rubbished Indian claims.

Lt Gen Stewart said bilateral ties between Islamabad and New Delhi worsened after several terrorist attacks took place in India.

"In 2016, Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged some of the heaviest fire in years along the LoCand each expelled a number of the other's diplomats amid growing tension," he said.  "Continued threat of high-level terror attacks in India, violence in [Indian Occupied] Kashmir and bilateral diplomatic recriminations will further strain India-Pakistan ties in 2017," he predicted.



About Pakistan, Lt Gen Stewart said the country, in 2017, is likely to gradually move from traditional counterinsurgency actions along its western border to more counter-terrorism and paramilitary assaults throughout the country that have had some success in reducing violence.

"Anti-Pakistan groups probably will respond to this sustained pressure by focusing their efforts against soft targets," he warned.

The DIA director also told the panel that Islamabad is taking steps to improve its nuclear security and is aware of the extremist threat to its programme.