India reserves right to hit back, DGMO warns Pak counterpart

New Delhi: In a blunt message, the Indian Army on Friday conveyed to Pakistan that it reserves the right to "retaliate appropriately" to any incident leading to the loss of lives of its troops due to Pakistani firing along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a telephonic conversation, Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart that the trend of cross-border infiltration with "active support" of Pakistani forward posts has been continuing, impacting peace and tranquillity in the border areas, the Army said. "Lt Gen Bhatt reiterated that the Indian Army is a professional Army and reserves the right to retaliate appropriately to any incident leading to loss of lives of Indian troops," it said.

Bhatt also told Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza that cross-border infiltration was also impacting internal security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and that this was evident from continued attempts of sniping and targeting of Indian troops undertaken through cross-border actions "duly supported" by the Pakistan Army troops, the Army said.

The DGMO also reaffirmed that the Indian Army would like to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LoC provided there was a reciprocal effort from Pakistan.

The telephonic conversation was initiated by Maj Gen Mirza who claimed the Indian Army was targeting Pakistani civilians in the Jammu sector.

"The Indian DGMO in his response highlighted that all ceasefire violations in the Jammu sector were initiated by Pakistani Rangers and the BSF troops deployed only responded appropriately to them. "It was also emphasised that no targeted firing on civilians was carried out by the Indian troops. Apart from this, firing by BSF troops was initiated against armed intruders attempting to infiltrate from close proximity of Pakistani posts along Amritsar border," the Army said.

The LoC in J&K has witnessed a spurt in ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops and the Indian Army has been retaliating effectively to Pakistani actions.

Srinagar: Ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday welcomed BJP leader Ram Madhav's remarks that the Centre was ready for unconditional talks with all stakeholders, including separatists, in Kashmir and said the chances should not be squandered.

The party, which shares power with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, said Madhav's comments should evoke positive response from all those interested in ending the stalemate in the state. PDP vice president Sartaj Madani said the "negative mindset" should end and the chances should not be squandered through "unwarranted obduracy."

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been the worst sufferers of uncertainty and instability arising out of contentious issues and confrontation, he said here.

He said the fresh offer has a context and needs to be seen as a sincere and honest initiative aimed at getting the state out of a perpetuated crisis which has cost the people of Kashmir so dearly.

Madhav, national general secretary of the BJP and the party's pointsman on J&K, had said yesterday that the Centre was open for unconditional dialogue with all stakeholders, including separatists, to address problems of the state.

"Now is the time that reconciliatory gestures from New Delhi are not put to any doubt and all stakeholders extend a helping hand in restoring the process of dialogue for sustainable peace and conflict resolution," Madani said.

"It was at the very outset that PDP BJP alliance committed itself to inclusive politics with a purpose and the agenda of alliance (the common minimum programme between the coalition partners) explicitly acknowledges the need for resolution and participatory diplomacy for a stable sub-continent believing in idea of co-existence," he said.