Spooked by Indian Army Chief's straight-shooting on LoC ceasefire, Pakistan responds

Talking about the present situation on the ground along the LoC, Gen Naravane had said, "In our own present context, the ceasefire on the Line of Control continues to hold, because we have negotiated from a position of strength."

Anish Kumar

Islamabad, First Published Feb 4, 2022, 10:38 AM IST | Last Updated Feb 4, 2022, 10:38 AM IST

A day after Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane remarked that the ceasefire on the Line of Control continues to hold because of the negotiation done from a position of strength, a spooked Pakistani Army on Friday termed it as 'misleading'.

Gen Naravane had made the remarks during the 'Pragyan Conclave', organised by Delhi-based defence Think Tank CLAWS. Taking to Twitter, the Pakistan Army’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations said that the Indian Army Chief's claims that the LOC ceasefire was holding because the Indian side negotiated from a position of strength, is clearly misleading.

"It was agreed only due to Pakistan's concerns for the safety of people of Kashmir living on both sides of LoC,” the Pakistan Army's DGISPR said, adding, "No side should misconstrue it as their strength or other’s weakness."

"The developments on our northern borders, have also adequately underscored, the requirement of ready and capable forces, with an optimal component of Boots on Ground, backed by modern technology, to preserve our sovereignty and integrity," Gen Naravane had added.

Stating that 'hard power' had always been relevant, the chief said it will continue to play a significant role in the future, albeit in new ways, adapting to the changing strategic context.

"This is also one of the reasons, why our ancient Indian wisdom on State Craft, and application of force, propounded many centuries ago, remains timeless and pertinent even today," he added.

The Director-General of Military Operations of the Indian Army and Pakistan Army announced to reiterate the ceasefire violations pact in February last year. The two forces had agreed to observe 2003 ceasefire understandings strictly.

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