Pakistan's unprovoked attacks will not go without a response: Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed the Indian position in strong words, ‘We respect the ceasefire. Nevertheless, any unprovoked attack will not go without a response’. Since the past few days, Pakistan has been complaining that India is violating the ceasefire agreement signed in 2003. There had even been a discussion between the military officials of both the countries to implement the agreement again. After that, the Pakistan army broke the Indian trust by resorting to firing as always. This is the reaction given by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in view of that.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had announced that now new campaigns will not be undertaken in Jammu-Kashmir in the auspicious month of Ramadan. However, the terrorists are trying to take advantage of the situation. They had started a session of grenade attacks in Jammu-Kashmir since the last few days. Therefore, questions are being raised over the decision taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Sitharaman had claimed while answering a question in a press conference that the Defence Ministry cannot certify failure or success of the ceasefire. But the Defence Minister took a frank stance while talking about the Pakistan ceasefire and made Pakistan aware of the situation.

‘We honour the ceasefire. But any attack from across the border will be retaliated with a counterattack. Guarding the national border is our highest priority. This is the duty of the defence ministry and the military,’ said the Defence Minister and clarified that the Indian army in the Jammu-Kashmir border areas will not tolerate any aggression from the Pakistani side. The Indian and Pakistani military officials met a few days ago. In this meeting, it was agreed upon that the 2003 ceasefire agreement should be reinstated. But within a few hours of the meeting Pakistani army resorted to cross-border firing on the Jammu-Kashmir border. The Indian army retaliated with a fitting reply and it is said that the Pakistan army had to bear heavy losses in the operation.

In view of this Major General Ghafoor of the ‘Inter-Services Public Relations’ (ISPR) had warned India. If India wants a good future, war against Pakistan cannot be on option for India, the Major General had claimed. As India and Pakistan are both nuclear nations, the question of war does not exist, the Major had threatened. Every time the Indian army beats up Pakistan army, their leaders start the talk of a nuclear war against India. Major General Ghafoor seems to be doing the very same.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Sitharaman has dismissed the possibility of talks with Pakistan referring to the statement made by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj that terrorism and negotiations cannot co-exist. The Union Home Minister, Hansraj Ahir has warned that if the export of terrorism and the violation of ceasefire is not stopped by Pakistan, India will withdraw from the ceasefire.

Pakistan has claimed that these Indian warnings are nothing but incitement. It is also making a fuss saying that civilians are becoming the targets of the firing by the Indian army.

The extremists in Pakistan are expressing regret that in spite of this, the weak Pakistani government cannot run a strong campaign against India at the international level. These extremists are also claiming that India has accepted such an aggressive role against Pakistan as the Indian activities near the Jammu-Kashmir border have support from the western countries.

These extremists and analysts famous for presenting the stance of the Pakistan army before the media are claiming that the country is taking a patient stance against India. In reality, it has become difficult for the Pakistan army and the IS to get their terrorists to infiltrate into India due to the alertness of the Indian army. This has caused a drastic reduction in the terrorist activities and if this situation continues for a few more months, the terrorism problem will cease to exist, it is claimed.