Need to ensure peace in IOK: Indian army chief

Bipin Rawat says there was a time when people from across the world would visit the Valley

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday said Indian-held Kashmir is 'heaven' and stressed the need to restore peace in the region.

Addressing a group of students in IOK, Rawat said there was a time when people from across the world would visit the Valley, but are unable to do so because of the prevailing unrest. The Indian Army chief stressed the need to bring the region back to the period before militancy erupted there in the late 1980s.



“Kashmir is heaven. We have to bring it to the level that was there before. The world flocks to see the Valley, but people are not being able to come because of the tension,” Hindustan Times quoted Rawat as saying.

Having served in IOK in four stints, Rawat said the "situation was good" during his first posting in the state in 1981.

Earlier this month, Rawat, while referring to Pakistan, China and internal security threats said India is ready for a “two-and-a-half front war”.



During an interview with Asian News International (ANI), Rawat accused Pakistan of using social media to create unrest in Indian-occupied Kashmir. He further claimed the situation in IOK would “improve soon”. “Pakistan is spreading disinformation among the youth of Kashmir with doctored videos and messages. This is further supported by some of the people in the Valley who spread it and glamorise the young boys who have joined terrorist organisations,” claimed Rawat.