KARACHI: India has opened up yet another front of tension against Pakistan by carrying out large scale army and naval manoeuvres in the Rann of Kutch in close proximity to the Pakistan border, according to reports from across the border reaching Karachi yesterday [March 29]. These reports said that these large scale manoeuvres were carried out on March 27 and 28 and were so close to Pakistan that they appeared in the nature of an imminent invasion.

The Indian aircraft carrier “INS-Vikrant” and eight other front-line naval ships of India participated in support of the ground troops of the Indian army stationed in Kutch and Maharashtra in these operations, these reports said. It is significant that this provocative and threatening gesture of the Indian Government comes close on the heels of the Indian offensive in Dahagram enclave and synchronises with the continuing military build up by India along the ceasefire line in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The purpose seems to be to create more and more spots of tension with Pakistan. It belies the Indian pretensions that she (India) is feeling threatened by China and is amassing arms against Peking.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2015

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