Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that the army is fully aware of Indian designs and its support to terror in Pakistan, adding that Kulbhushan Yadav is one such evidence of those efforts and his case will be taken to logical conclusion.

The army chief visited troops on the Line of Control (LoC) at Mattewala, Munaawar sectors on Tuesday, where he said that unprovoked ceasefire violations by India along the LoC were an attempt to distract the Pakistan Army from its fight against terrorism.

He said that through ceasefire violations Indian on one hand wanted to divert the world’s attention from Indian atrocities against innocent Kashmiris, while on the other hand it was bent upon diluting Pakistan’s response against terrorism and militancy, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted the army chief as saying. “The targeting of civilians along the LoC is deliberate and highly reprehensible,” he said.

Vowing to protect the people of Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir from Indian aggression, the army chief said, “We will continue our solidarity with people of Indian-held Kashmir who are struggling for their right to self-determination.”

Lauding the operational readiness of the troops, Gen Bajwa said that unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian should be responded to effectively. “Pakistan Army soldiers are known for their professional competence, motivation and selfless devotion for the defence of our motherland and are backbone of the army,” he said.

Last week, three Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred by Indian occupation forces along the LoC.

According to the ISPR, Indian forces committed at least 178 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary in 2016, killing 19 people and injuring 80 others.

Earlier, upon his arrival, the general officer commanding briefed the army chief on the operational situation in the sectors.

The restive Himalayan region suffered a rise in violence last year after the killing in July of a popular young rebel leader by Indian occupation forces.