NEW DELHI – Indian army chief Bipin Rawat dashed to Udhampur in hiscountry’s sector of Kashmir on Saturday to review border security.
Across the region villagers huddled in makeshift bunkers while policeordered non-essential traffic off roads, an AFP reporter said.
At least 12 civilians have been killed on either side of the frontier sincethe start of the week.
The release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to Indian authoritieslate Friday following 60 hours in Pakistani custody boosted hopes of ade-escalation.
But a furious backlash erupted in India over a video in which Abhinandancan be seen praising his captors and criticising Indian media.
– Pilot returns –
Abhinandan was shot down in his MiG fighter Wednesday as he chasedPakistani jets over disputed Kashmir. His capture had become thecentrepiece of hostilities between the arch-rivals after a February 14suicide bombing in Kashmir killed 40 Indian paramilitaries.
Abhinandan, who ejected to safety but was set upon by a crowd on thePakistani side of the Kashmir ceasefire line, had a noticeable black eyewhen he returned and was immediately taken for a medical checkup before adebriefing by military and intelligence agencies.
Media reports said Abhinandan’s return was held up because he was forced tomake the video before being freed.
In the heavily edited video distributed by the Pakistani military justbefore his release, he praised the professionalism of the Pakistani armyand criticised Indian media for creating war hysteria.
Omar Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir state, said thevideo tainted Pakistan’s gesture to return the pilot so quickly.
“Sadly the image you paint for us is marred terribly by the video he’sforced to record just before you sent him back,” Abdullah said on Twitter.
“That high moral ground you had bequeathed to yourselves slipped at theend.”
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India’s feverish social media also slammed the video, which was tweeted bythe Pakistan government but later taken off its official account.
– War rhetoric –
There was no let-up in war rhetoric with Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi saying no-one could “dare threaten” a “new, fearless and decisive”India.
Modi also told an India Today media group conference the country needed theRafale fighter jets it wants to buy from France. The deal has beenembroiled in corruption allegations levelled by the opposition Congressparty.
“If India had the procured the Rafale on time then the result of the recentskirmish with Pakistan could have been different,” Modi said.
In a bid to defuse the tensions, Adel al-Jubeir, minister of state forforeign affairs for Saudi Arabia, a key Pakistan ally, was to arrive inIslamabad Sunday, underlining global concern over the showdown.
Saudi Arabia has offered to help to end the new hostilities.
“He is visiting us and and will also visit India. He is our friend and wehave historical relations with them (Saudi Arabia),” Pakistan’s foreignminister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters.
Pakistan media praised the government for releasing the pilot but somesocial media users criticised the military video, calling it “cheap” and”unnecessary”.
Abhinandan was captured a day after Indian planes bombed what New Delhisaid was a militant camp in Pakistan, in retaliation for the Kashmirsuicide bombing claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group.
Kashmir has been divided between the two countries since their independenceand bitter split in 1947. It has been at the centre of two of their threewars since then. -APP/AFP
