Gen. Rawat asks Pakistan to ‘reciprocate’ peace
New Delhi: Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said India was offering peace to its ‘adversary’ but if the offer was not reciprocated, India will continue with operations like the surgical strike.
The Army chief was asked about the two surgical strikes carried out by India along the Myanmar border in 2015 and one against Pakistan in September 2016.
“Our aim is to ensure peace. We are trying to ensure there is no need for conducting another surgical strike,” General Rawat said, addressing a press conference ahead of the Army Day on January 15.
“Our offer to the adversary is if you reciprocate offer of peace in same manner, the need to conduct a surgical strike will not arise,” he said.
“But if that offer of peace and tranquillity is not reciprocated in an appropriate manner, this method of execution of operation (surgical strike) will continue,” he said.
General Rawat also said that Pakistan has recently conveyed through the military channels that it was willing to enforce the ceasefire along the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Army chief, who took office on December 31, said: “We told them that the words should be supported by actions on the ground and our army is for peace and tranquility.”
But he made it clear that the ceasefire would not apply for terrorists infiltrating into the Indian side.
“We will fire on infiltrating terrorists and we have conveyed this through our DGMO to the Pakistani side,” he said. (IANS)
