Frontline visit: Army chief vows ‘effective response’ to LoC provocation

Gen Raheel appreciates troops for their state of morale on frontline

ISLAMABAD: Army chief General Raheel Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan Army would ‘effectively respond’ to any provocation along the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir.

“Any provocation along the Line of Control will be responded effectively,” the military’s media wing quoted General Raheel as saying during his interaction with troops on forward localities along the LoC near Jhelum.

This is the first time the army chief has spoken about ceasefire violations along the LoC which came amid continued deadlock in efforts seeking the revival of a stalled peace process between Pakistan and India.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the army chief was given a briefing by local commanders about the prevailing security situation at the LoC.

While interacting with the troops, General Raheel appreciated their “state of morale and operational preparedness on frontline”. He expressed complete satisfaction on the state of readiness and vigil being maintained by the troops.

General Raheel also paid rich tribute to the officers and men of Pakistan Army along the LoC on their supreme sacrifices and determination in the defence of the country.  “The entire nation feels proud of the soldiers deployed in defence of the motherland,” he added.

Although Pakistan and India have been observing a ceasefire along the LoC and working boundary since 2003, both sides have often accused each other of violating the truce. In August, the two countries exchanged fire along the working boundary near Sialkot for weeks on end. However, they mutually agreed to deescalate the situation following a meeting between their director generals military operations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2014.