Longevity of ceasefire depends on Pak actions, says Army Chief

Srinagar, June 3

Making it clear that the onus of building bridges with India is on Pakistan, Army Chief General MM Naravane on Thursday said that while the ceasefire continued, steps such as putting a stop to infiltration would help in building trust between the two countries.

He said the longevity of the ceasefire along the Line of Control with Pakistan depended on the actions of the neighbouring country, but asserted that there would be “no slackening” of preparedness as terror infrastructure across the border was intact.

‘Decades of mistrust with neighbouring country’

Asked if Islamabad can be trusted as the ceasefire has been maintained for 100 days, General Naravane said, “There have been decades of mistrust between India and Pakistan. The situation can’t change overnight.”

Terming Covid another kind of war, Naravane said the Army had left no stone unturned in providing relief to the people of the country. He said he was happy that Covid cases were declining.

“The ceasefire along the LoC is there as of now. The onus of making sure that the ceasefire remains is squarely on Pakistan. We are willing to observe the ceasefire as long as they do so,” he told journalists at the end of his two-day visit to Kashmir.

The Army Chief said other activities like terror infrastructure including terrorist camps and presence of terrorists on the other side of the LoC were continuing in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Asked if Islamabad can be trusted as the ceasefire has been maintained for 100 days now, General Naravane said, “There have been decades of mistrust between India and Pakistan. So, the situation on that score cannot change overnight.”

He lauded the troops for the high level of operational preparedness. “On the second day of his two-day visit to Kashmir, General MM Naravane reviewed the security situation along the Line of Control,” the Army wrote on its official Twitter handle. It said the local commanders briefed the Chief of Army Staff on the existing security situation and the measures taken to foil infiltration bids by terrorists. — PTI

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