New Delhi (Sputnik): India and Pakistan are doing little to deescalatetheir border conflict, and the situation on the ground appears to beworsening with each passing week.
At least four civilians have been killed since Thursday and several injuredin heavy shelling and firing at different sectors along the Line of Control(LoC), the de-facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
The two sides have blamed each other for inflicting heavy damage oncivilian areas. Pakistan’s foreign ministry summoned the Indian diplomat onFriday in what has become a weekly ritual since the Indian parliament scrappedthe special statuslinkofJammu and Kashmir in August, Sputnik has reported.
Despite the summoning of each other’s diplomats and an awareness that suchceasefire violations may “lead to a strategic miscalculation”, Indian andPakistani troops have not stopped firing at each other along the LoC..
A worrying development is the high and consistent use of artillery by bothsides. In previous periods of tension the use of artillery was quitelimited and would usually end up with a flag-meet. But this time, thesituation seems different.
*Pakistan administered Kashmir a Terrorist Controlled Country: Indian Armychief*
Speaking at an army function in New Delhi on Friday, Indian Army ChiefGeneral Bipin Rawat categorically stated that Pakistan administered Kashmiris “illegally occupied by Pakistan and being controlled by terrorists.”
“When we say Jammu and Kashmir, the complete state of Jammu and Kashmirincludes Pakistan administered Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan,” General Rawatsaid, adding the territory illegally occupied by Pakistan “is notcontrolled by the Pakistani establishment, it is controlled by terrorists.Pakistan administered Kashmir is actually a terrorist controlled country ora terrorist controlled part of Pakistan.”
General Rawat’s statement is significant as it comes a day after thejunior minister in India’s Prime Minister Office (PMO) Jitendra Prasadasserted that the day is not far off when the Indian flag will be unfurledin Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
These statements do not seem to be one off remarks made to cheer updomestic audience during a political rally and India’s Foreign Minister andseasoned diplomat S. Jaishankar has also spoken of India’s claim to Kashmir.
“My sovereignty and my jurisdiction is laid out by my maps. My maps havebeen there for over 70 years. Now, that’s my claim,” Jaishankar said to agroup at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank in WashingtonDC on 2 October.
The Indian foreign minister declared that one day India expects to havephysical jurisdictionlinkoverits territory presently lying on the Pakistan side since the Instrument ofAccession (through which the erstwhile princely State of Jammu and Kashmiracceded to India) was signed in 1947.
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Despite raising the stakes, no Indian minister or any top-level member ofthe ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has yet mentioned military optionslinktoachieve the desired aim of integrating Pakistan-administered Kashmir intoIndia. But India’s recent trans-border strike on 20 October and war gameexercises do indicate that India’s armed forces may have plans in thatdirection.
*India Testing New War Strategy for Limited Scale War*
Since revoking Kashmir’s special status, India has conducted high-level wargames in western (Pakistan) and eastern sector (China) including Ladakhwhere China claims its jurisdiction as well. On the western front, Indiahas tested its air and land resources including newly inducted K9self-propelled 155 mm howitzer and PINAKA multi-barrel rocket launcher inthe Sudarshan Chakra Integrated Fire and Manoeuvre Exercise.
On the eastern front, Indian armed forces have carried out two majorexercises of newly conceived Integrated Battle Groupslink(IBGs)just 90 km from the Chinese border. The exercise was aimed to test themobility, communication and coordination of fast-moving troops for amodern, fast and short war.
The Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy has also started afortnight-long exercise in the Arabian Sea this week to test “operationalpreparedness, validate procedures and try out new strategies and conceptsof naval operations.”
The Indian Air Force also conducted multiple Brahmos supersonic cruisemissilelinktestsearlier this week to assess its operational readiness, while announcingthat the missile hit the target at pin-point accuracy.
In the wake of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan making a strong pitch oninternational platforms and China’s moral support, the Pakistani army toois showcasing its ability to defend its territory.
All said and done, the situation between the two nuclear-armed neighboursseems unlikely to return to nornal anytime soon. Despite the Pakistaniprime minister’s diplomatic efforts in foreign lands, no foreign countrylooks ready to get involved. And, neither Pakistan nor India seems eager tosit across the negotiating table to talk peace.
BY: Rishikesh Kumar
