Pakistan Army being given befitting reply on LoC: Army to Parliamentary panel

NEW DELHI: Indian Army is giving a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army and is well prepared to deal with any situation, a Parliamentary Committee was told today.

Members of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Defence quizzed top Army officers over the escalation of the violations and wanted to know how these were being dealt with.

The Army officials said the Indian forces were responding appropriately to all violations on the Line of Control as well as the International Border, sources said here.

The Committee was told that the force was giving a befitting reply to the Pakistan Army on the LoC and several of their attempts to push infiltrators inside Indian territory have been thwarted, they said.

A total of 136 ceasefire violations have been reported in 2013, the highest in the past 8 years. Even today, Pakistani Rangers opened fire at 10 border posts injuring two people.

The Army has also been under the government scanner over the handling of counter terrorist operations in Keran sector.

The Standing Committee headed by Congress MP Raj Babbar was meeting to discuss the preparedness of the armed forces on the threat perception of incursions against the backdrop of such incidents on the borders with China and Pakistan.

At the meeting, Army officials said a large number of their procurement cases were pending and they needed to be expedited.

It is learnt that some of the members also raised the issue of the controversial Technical Support Division (TSD) which was created by former Army Chief Gen V K Singh and is under fire for its alleged unauthorised operations.