The Indian Army backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party led Central Government has finally changed its stance on the Line of Control (LOC) from defensive to offensive. The Indo-Pakistan border is a very sensitive area for infiltration and insurgency, not to mention the numerous crossfire violations which keep happening from time to time. The BJP government, as soon as it came to power, had made it clear that India will not tolerate the nefarious activities of the Pakistan army and its home-grown terrorists. The surgical strikes and the retaliatory firing further proved the commitment of the government. Indian troops did not disappoint either and started giving back Pakistan a taste of their own medicine.
The number of Pakistani army personnel killed in 2017 alone was a staggering 138 casualties according to the government intelligence sources. This number does not include the terrorists and insurgents who were killed in the various operations throughout the year. The 138 Pakistani personnel were killed in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the LOC. The number of Indian Army personnel who lost their lives in the same time period was 28.
It means that for every Indian soldier who lost his life on the LOC, Pakistan lost 5. There were also 70 and 155 non-fatal casualties to the personnel for India and Pakistan respectively. The ratio again is 2 Pakistani soldiers for every one Indian soldier who was injured. The numbers alone are not important as they does not reveal the motive behind the clashes which serve as a distraction to keep the Indian Army engaged. Pakistan Army opens fire and attacks the Indian posts to give cover to its terrorists while the Indian Army shoots and fires to protect its border and homeland. The civilian casualties on the Indian side of the border are a grave concern for the Indian Army as well.
Indian Army continued its onslaught in 2018 and killed 20 soldiers from Pakistan up till February alone. It was necessary to do so in order to stop the influx of the 200+ insurgents who were waiting to cross into India. The central government allocated Rs 1487 crore in February to enhance security at military installations along the LOC after the Sunjuwan military camp attacks. Criticizing Pakistan for the attacks in Sunjuwan, Nirmala Sitharaman had said’ “Pakistan will pay for this misadventure. I repeat, Pakistan will pay for it.” “I would not certainly set a timeline but Pakistan will pay for this misadventure. I can only assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire country that the Army, both the governments at the state and the Centre, are definitely looking at it with all seriousness,” Defence Minister Sitharaman told the reporters in Jammu in February.
These were not empty threats; the most recent action took place today which has led to the death of five more Pakistani soldiers along the LOC in the Sunderbani area of Rajouri. This comes a week after five Pakistani soldiers were killed in a skirmish with Afghan security forces and local tribal warlords. The death toll of the Pakistani soldiers will keep rising until the Army and the Pakistan Administration decide to put an end to their evil intentions. Pakistan will have to realise that they are fighting a lost cause and the skirmishes along the LOC will hurt them more.
India is ready to defend its borders and her Armed Forces are committed. Pakistan must understand that the language of terror is of no use anymore, as the world has recognized the intentions of Pakistan when it comes to their support for and breeding of terrorism. If the Pakistan government doesn’t mend its ways it will very soon run out of resources to serve its own population. We hope the realization comes soon, for both the nations’ common good.