New Delhi, November 1
India today said that it was Pakistan which was adopting an offensive posture along the Line of Control (LoC) in two sectors by moving in infantry and armoured brigades along with a large number of troops.

Senior Army officers have pointed out that rather than India being on the offensive, it was Pakistan which had moved in two infantry brigades and an armoured brigade in the Chenab-Jhelum corridor across the Akhnoor sector. It had a similar build up of forces east of the Sutlej river in the Bahawalpur area of Rajasthan.

There was a build-up of approximately 35,000 troops besides the armoured columns along the borders which could be converted into an offensive force at any time, they were of the view. In comparison, they pointed out, India had not moved any more troops or armoured and mechanised columns which could be termed offensive in nature.

“When they (the Pakistan army) move, they come very close to us. Ostensibly, the Pakistani build-up is for training but what is a cause of concern is that they can easily be converted as an offensive force because of the armoured and mechanised infantry elements that have moved”.

Incidentally, there is a practice between the two countries of informing the other about the troop or armoured column movement being made along the borders. But this time, Islamabad has not given any information of the movements to New Delhi.

The internal instability in Pakistan, the jehadi elements on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the US attacks and with Ramazan approaching, it is possible that there could be the “rash act” of a pre-emptive, designed or undesigned stroke, the army sources said. It could also be an atempt to divert the attention of people, specially with tremendous internal strife at present in Pakistan.

Asserting that the Indian Army was fully aware of the build-up and ready to face any aggression, the sources said the Pakistani movement was on the pattern of what happened in 1999 during the Kargil conflict and the areas where it was occurring were those from where strikes were possible.

Two infantry brigades would mean close to 35,000 men while an armoured brigade would have 150 tanks, besides mechanised vehicles.

The Pakistani movement began in trickles 21 days ago, the sources said. Now the Pakistani armoured division and two infantry brigades are in Kharian in the upper Chenab area opposite the Akhnoor sector and just 30-40 km away from India’s National Highway. To the south is another offensive formation, 80 to 90 km from the International Border.

Since mid-October, when the Pakistani army movement started, the Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) has conveyed India’s concern during talks with his Pakistani counterpart. “Until they show it on the ground (that they are moving back troops), we will remain concerned,’’ the sources said.

Pakistan’s 10 Corps, across the Line of Control sector, 31 Corps in Bahawalpur and 5 Corps in Karachi have all moved forces and beefed up the border outposts. A reserve division has been deployed in the south and elements of Pakistan Army have moved west to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The Pakistani troops were in ‘operational role’. According to intelligence reports, all leave has been cancelled and so also training courses for Pakistani officers and soldiers.

In the Akhnoor sector, the Indian Army had made precautionary deployment in the form of operational rehearsals and in the Western Command small enclaves opposite the Ravi and Sutlej rivers which were susceptible objects had been strengthened.

The Bahawalpur area, where Pakistan armoured concentrations are present, India had taken precautionary steps as it being a semi-desert there were no obstacles in this sector. In the Barmer sector, the Indian Army carried out 10-15 day operational rehearsals and the troops were back in their barracks.

Describing as a “hype” Pakistan’s allegations of an additional build-up in Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said there had been only normal rotation of Indian forces and “operational rehearsals” for training and acclimitisation which every army in the world carries out.