Says Islamabad thinks it is fighting an easy war that is paying them dividends. PHOTO: AFP
“Pakistan thinks it is fighting an easy war that’s paying them dividends, but we have options (other than surgical strikes) that are far more impactful and effective. Our army is not barbaric. I don’t want to (collect) heads because we are a disciplined force,” Rawat said while speaking to Hindustan Times.
Indian army chief indicates 'retaliatory action' against Pakistan
On the US Department of State declaring Syed Salahuddin, the supreme commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM), a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”, the Indian army chief said, “I will wait and watch to see if Pakistan truly reins him in, because he was issuing a calendar of protests on the very day he was designated.”
In his interview with the Hindustan Times, the Indian army chief also referred to the fact that while there was an official bounty on the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, it did not lead to any crackdown on the militant leader or his outfit.
With regards to holding peace talks with Kashmiri leaders, Rawat said that “dialogue can happen only when there is peace”.
“The army has a job to do. We have to ensure that peace returns. I’ll hold talks with a person who assures me that my convoy will not be hit. The day that happens, I will personally hold a dialogue,” Rawat told HT.
The Indian army chief also claimed that the Indian army was making attempts to reach out to Kashmiri youth, but, defended Major NL Gogoi’s action of using a civilian as a human shield. “The election commission staff called for help. What if they had been lynched?” he asked. “I am not on the ground. I don’t know what my boys are going through, but I have to be the motivator.”
Indian army chief refuses to rule out surgical strikes against Pakistan
Rawat also rejected reports of a skirmish between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Indian troops in Sikkim. “There was no incursion into our territory. I don’t know where the visuals are from, but they are not from Sikkim,” he added.
Last year in September, the Indian army claimed having conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan. A claim Pakistan denies as 'baseless'.
This article originally appeared on Hindustan Times.
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