ISLAMABAD: Army top brass on Thursday reiterated its resolve to firmly respond to any Indian ‘misadventure’.

The resolve was expressed at a meeting of the corps commanders held at the General Headquarters. It was chaired by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on the meeting, which is normally a monthly feature, said the commanders reiterated resolve for befitting response to any Indian misadventure or aggression.

They were responding to Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat and Air Force head Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria’s recent statements threatening Pakistan. Gen Rawat had threatened to cross the Line of Control (LoC), the dividing line between the two parts of Kashmir. “If we have to go across the LoC, we will,” he had said.

Speaking at the corps commanders conference, Gen Bajwa said: “Pakistan Army is fully configured, prepared and determined to defend honour, dignity and territorial integrity of motherland at all cost. Kashmir is jugular vein of Pakistan and no compromise shall be made which denies right of self-determination to our brave Kashmiri brethren.”

The commanders praised Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in which he spoke at length about the Kashmir dispute. “Forum acknowledged effective highlighting of Kashmir dispute exposing Indian human rights violations in under siege IOJ&K [Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir] during UNGA session,” said the ISPR.

Security operations against disruptive elements were also endorsed by the commanders. The ISPR said: “Forum expressed appreciations for effectively dealing [with] foreign-backed efforts at destabilising Pakistan through various machinations.” However, the military’s media affairs wing did not specify which specific actions were discussed at the meeting.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2019