March 16, 2017
New Delhi — Rapid changes in China's war fighting doctrines and restructuring with focus on multi-dimensional offence and defence besides enhancing nuclear and conventional missile capabilities has emerged a major threat to India's strategic interest.
March 16, 2017
New Delhi — Rapid changes in China's war fighting doctrines and restructuring with focus on multi-dimensional offence and defence besides enhancing nuclear and conventional missile capabilities has emerged a major threat to India's strategic interest.
Moreover, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) challenges Indian sovereignty.
Flagging these concerns in its annual report for 2016-17 released on Wednesday, the Defence Ministry also noted that Pakistan continued to support terrorist and 'jehadi' outfits targeting its neighbours including India.
"Such outfits continued to be encouraged to infiltrate into India under the cover of massive cross-Line of Control (LOC) and cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas throughout the year," the report said.
Without directly mentioning about the surgical strikes on September 29 last year in POK, 217-page document said Pakistan based terrorists attacked military bases in India "triggering an appropriate response by the Indian armed forces."
On China's modernization drive, the report said the eastern neighbor initiated significant restructuring of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), aimed at stronger control by the Party and to usher in jointness to enable mobile operations, multidimensional offence and defence, offshore waters defence and open seas protection.
Observing China's growing maritime prowess especially in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, the report said South China Sea is a major waterway and over dollar five trillion trade passes through the sea lanes in this region. Over 55 per cent of India's trade passes through South China Sea and Malacca Straits and the document said India supports freedom of navigation and over flight based on the principles of international law.
As regards Pakistan, the report said the western neighbor continues to "relentlessly" expand its military forces especially nuclear and missile capabilities. The country is torn by ethno-regional conflicts, with the zone of conflict expanding from the tribal areas on Pakistan-Afghan border to the hinterland.
Although the military has made efforts to improve the security situation in the country, it has avoided taking action against 'jihadi' and terror outfits that target Pakistan's neighbors. Support to such groups persists despite ongoing efforts by the international community including India to list the head of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad(JeM) Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, the document said.
About the internal security scenario especially in Jammu and Kashmir, the report said situation in the state was "tense but under control."
Without naming Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani, it said after the killing of a hardcore terrorist in July last year, the separatists and terrorist 'tanzeems (organisations)' focused their efforts to mobilise protests and disturb public peace.
Courtesy: HT
