New Delhi: The three-year extension given to Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa is expected to lead to a more rigid military stand against India than before, sources in the defence and security establishment told ThePrint.
“We expect the Pakistan Army policy towards India to get more rigid when it comes to supporting terror, but they will do it more subtly. We expect the LoC to be continuously heated up for the next few months,” a source said.
The source added that the Pakistan military will focus on Kashmir a lot — through proxy forces like terror groups, and by infusing more radicalisation in the Valley.
Also read: This is General Bajwa’s dilemma after Modi govt’s Article 370 move in Kashmir
Three-year extension
According to a notification issued by the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office Monday, Gen. Bajwa was appointed Chief of Army Staff for another term of three years from the date of completion of his current tenure. The notification, personally signed by PM Imran Khan, added that “the decision has been taken in view of the regional security environment”.
Sources said the extension was expected, even though Bajwa had famously said last year that he will retire on the day it is due in November 2019. He had been appointed in November 2016 by then-PM Nawaz Sharif.
“His extension was on expected lines. Notwithstanding what he said last year about his retirement, the real question was how long he would get an extension for,” a source said.
Another source pointed out that while PM Khan had signed off on the order, the actual decision of giving an extension was taken by Gen. Bajwa himself.
Army influence over govt to get more apparent
Sources also said while the Pakistan Army continues to have a huge influence over the civilian government, this will become more open and apparent in the coming months. PM Khan is often labelled a ‘selected PM’ rather than an ‘elected PM’ because of the army’s support.
A source said Bajwa’s extension had become even more of a foregone conclusion when Khan added him to the National Development Council (NDC), a body formed to make policy and chalk out strategy for economic development, and also to provide guidelines for improving regional cooperation.
Also read: India is a sticking point in how well Pakistan straddles its ties with the US and Afghanistan
I am not sure what it means to say that Pakistan will become more rigid. They are committed to the destruction of India, whether they are at war or involved in fake peace talks. This has never changed in spite of all the magnanimity shown by India – in Indus Water treaty, 1965 returning territory, 1971 returning captives, the Lahore declaration, granting of MFN, the list is endless. That is now Pakistan’s principal problem in any negotiation with India – they have nothing to offer and so there is no incentive for India to engage with them.
Retaining or Changing of army chief has no bearing on the India policy, Rawalpindi is a hawk where India is concerned and will be hostile irrespective of who occupies the chair. The next five years , Modi and Shah have prepared a bitter harsh decoction for Pakistan / GHQ Rawalpindi and it will be fed intravenously and relentlessly
Expect a greater support for the home grown militants in the valley.
Previously Pakistan had kept them on a tight leash and had declined to supply arms, there was only one rifle to twenty insurgents.
That there will be more IED bomb makers trained and sniper rifles supplied by Pakistan is yet to be seen.
Also yet to be seen is wether the Kashmiri insurgent will get similar support as the Taliban by the ISI.
As former raw chief Dault warned the insurgency might take a new unexpected turn.
Terror Strikes against the Indian mainland will only turn world opinion against the Kashmiri but this cannot be ruled out if the Jihad becomes internationalised, like the Bombay bombings this is the point at which India is most vulnerable.
Such is the widespread anger that their is no shortage of suicide bombers.
What remains to be seen is this insurgency is going to be long drawn out and if attempts are made to recruit some of India’s 160 million Muslims and tie up with the Khalistan movement.
There is a large pool of educated unemployed Muslim youth in India, if Modi’s anti Muslim policies and lynching continue this is a potential source of recruitment for terror organisations like the ISIS.
Altogether this change of status in Kashmir was not needed, an unwise decision for which I have a feeling will come to haunt India.
Wet dreams?With begging bowl.
When is Imran Khan’s next begging trip? Is Bajwa, Amir of Terroristan doing anything to make sure you are not blacklisted to be even worse Bhikaristan? ?????
Are you high on mushroom?
This transcript of Paki NSC meeting is floating in Twitter and whatsapp. Please kindly share.
IK: I heard Yasin Malik wrote to Nawaz “Pakistan has no right to alter the status of Gilgit-Baltistan. We want only azadi, we don’t want to join Pakistan”. How much more Pakistan should sacrifice? Let us focus on peace and stability.
Bajwa: I’m your Boss, vetoing it. We want to pursue the failed policies of 72 years and disintegrate “Pakistan”. I want to be the dictator of Punjabisthan.
DG ISPR GhaFool: I want to be Amir of Seraikistan.
IK: Sir, can I be the dictator of Pashtunistan?
Bajwa: that’s fine. Next Saturday we will meet again to decide on who will take over Sindudesh, Jinnahpur and Baluchistan. PoK is going to India.
The recent suicide attack in a wedding hall in Kabul moved me very deeply. A grim portent of what the future holds for Afghanistan and its neighbours. A lot of capacity to cause mayhem will be freed up. America’s retreat has a fragrance of rout. No concern for what the residue will be, so long as the Taliban are sensible enough not to permit terror strikes against the US and its closest allies. India will have to fend for itself. If this mates with a deeply disaffected population in Kashmir, the security establishment will have a lot on its plate.
Nothing could be worse than 26/11 ashok JI. Every country will have to fend for itself. And as for Western media’s influence on FDI, if Indian government opens up FDI in grocery today, no one will pay attention to Kashmir.
What do you propose? You seem to a pessimistic person sitting and commenting as if these things people don’t know…