ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The top-brass of armed forces met on Monday and decided to substantially increase troop deployment both along the Line of Control and the international border to foil any aggression by Indian forces.

The chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Muhammad Aziz, presided over the meeting at the staff headquarters in Chaklala to discuss what was termed a very alarming situation created by massive military buildup on borders by India.

The three services chiefs, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, some Principal Staff Officers and key officials of the defence ministry attended the meeting.

Sources said the meeting decided to substantially increase the number of troops as well as military equipment along the LoC and the international borders. Instructions to this effect were issued to the concerned quarters immediately after the meeting.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf was scheduled to meet his military and civilian confidants immediately after his return from China sometime in the night. He was also expected to convene a meeting of all the corps commanders, and a joint meeting of the National Security Council and the federal cabinet on Wednesday.

The meeting was informed that Pakistan Air Force had been carrying out vigilance as its aircraft were in the air for almost 24 hours during the last few days.

A spokesman for the Inter-Service Public Relations, Brig Sulat Raza, told Dawn that the JCSC meeting had extensively reviewed the situation and approved new measures to counter any attack from across the border.

“The Indians first heightened a media hype and now they are not only talking about war but have also increased troop deployment near our borders which cannot go unnoticed,” he said.

He said Pakistan forces were fully alert to respond to any Indian adventure.

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