This Article is From Sep 29, 2016

By Denying India's Surgical Strikes, Here's What Pakistan Wants: Experts

By Denying India's Surgical Strikes, Here's What Pakistan Wants: Experts

The Pakistani army has accused India of "fabrication of truth" on surgical strikes across LoC

Highlights

  • Pak army says India did not cross Line of Control
  • By denying strikes, Pak wants to defuse situation: experts
  • If Pak accepts India's stand, it would be expected to retaliate: experts
New Delhi: The Pakistani army has accused India of "fabrication of truth" after India revealed that it carried out  surgical strikes at seven places in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir where terrorists were placed to cross into Jammu and Kashmir.

The strikes were launched last night based on "very specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves to infiltrate," said Lt General Ranbir Singh, the army's Director General of Military Operations to reporters this morning.

But the Pakistani military's press wing said India had killed two of its soldiers in unprovoked cross-border firing. "This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross-border fire as surgical strike is fabrication of truth," it said in a statement.

"Pakistan has made it clear that if there is a surgical strike on Pakistani soil, same will be strongly responded."

Pakistan and India have been locked into a crisis since an army camp in Uri in Kashmir was attacked by terrorists from across the border earlier this month. 18 soldiers were killed. The Uri attack came after weeks of violence in the Kashmir Valley which was funded and instigated by Pakistan, India has said at international forums including the United Nations.

"Pakistan's denial of India's strikes last night should be seen as its attempt to defuse the situation," said Vivek Katju, a former senior diplomat and an expert in India-Pak relations.

"My gut feeling is that we certainly can expect some retaliation," said former  air force chief Fali Major, though he added that Pakistan's denial suggests that it is against escalating military action.
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