Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane on June 3 said that the trust between India and Pakistan can only be built if Pakistan continues to observe ceasefire, stops and desist from pushing terrorists across India.
“There've been decades of mistrust between Pakistan and India and the situation can't change overnight,” the Army chief was quoted as saying by ANI during his ongoing two-day visit to Kashmir to review the security situation in the Union Territory.
The visit comes against the backdrop of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the LoC entering the 100th day.
“If they continue to observe ceasefire, stop and desist from pushing terrorists across India then these steps will incrementally build up trust. Onus is entirely on Pakistan,” General Naravane said.
READ: Army chief Gen MM Naravane visits Kashmir on 100th day eve of India-Pakistan ceasefire
On his first day of visit, the Army Chief visited units and formations in the hinterland where he was briefed by the local commanders on the existing security situation and the measures being taken to identify and target the over ground workers’ (OGWs) network involved in radicalisation and recruitment of youth into terrorist ranks, a defence spokesperson said in a statement.
“Efforts to prevent local recruitment and facilitate surrender of local terrorists were also discussed,” the statement said. Later, the COAS was briefed by the Chinar Corps Commander on the overall situation pertaining to the Line of Control and the hinterland. In the evening, the Army Chief called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan and discussed the emerging challenges and road map for long term peace in the Union Territory.
Also, read: The surprise India-Pakistan ceasefire call and what it means, explained
India and Pakistan had on February 25 agreed for a “strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors.” This agreement was reached after talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO) of both countries during discussions over the established hotline.
On June 1, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General YK Joshi said that the ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan is being followed in "letter and spirit" by both sides and that there has been no ceasefire violation since the date of the agreement.
Also, read: Indo-Pak ceasefire will have no bearing on counter-terrorism operations in J&K: Indian Army
"The Ceasefire Understanding (CFU) reached on February 25, 2021, has sustained since then and both sides (India-Pak) are abiding by the arrangement in letter and spirit," he told news agency PTI. The Lt General, however, asserted that the Indian Army is not letting its guard down "even for one bit" along the border in the state.
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