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Created: 10 September 2019

JAMMU: Lt Gen (Retd) Rakesh Kumar Sharma, State Spokesperson of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Incharge BJP Defence & Security Committee today reacted to release of JeM Chief Masood Azhar by Pak as a step to ignite civil unrest in J&K, carry out major terrorist strikes in India and make a last ditch effort to internationalize J&K Issue after abrogation of Article 370 on 05 Aug.

In a statement issued here he said that Revoking of Article 370 and Reorganization of J&K has been welcomed by one & all including all three regions of J&K namely Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh. However, Kashmir Centric political parties and the separatists have been surreptitiously carrying out negative propaganda due to narrow personal interests against the said move to incite civil unrest in Kashmir Valley. Taking advantage of the situation, Pak has stepped up infiltration across LoC, undertaken unprovoked heavy firing across LoC targeting innocent civilians, carried out BAT actions and has carried out propaganda of undertaking Jihad in Kashmir by projecting it as Anti-Muslim.

Further, it made all efforts to internationalize the issue but has failed to garner any support from the World Community and has been given a shut -up call to table it in UN. As a step further, Pak PM & their COAS, out of sheer desperation indulged in War Rhetoric, moved regular forces to the selective borders and made POJK civilians cross over to Kashmir as cannon fodder which failed miserably. Having failed in all its above efforts, Pak as usual has played its ‘Trump Card’ (not President Trump which boomeranged) of secretly releasing JeM Chief Masood Azhar to carry out ‘Mass Terror Strikes’ of the kind of Parliament Attack, J&K Assembly, Pathankot, Nagrota, Uri and Pulwama.

He said that Masood Azhar is a History Sheeter, experienced handler & a dreaded terrorist who was declared an International Terrorist in May 2019 by UN and recently in Aug this year India has declared him as a wanted Terrorist. He further said that Masood Azhar has become ‘J&K Terror Specialist’ and has a well ‘Wired Network’ on both sides, especially in J&K. His release though should not cause alarm, but we need to upgrade our guard as he may try to replicate Pulwama Type attacks (also publically said by Pak PM after abrogation of Article 370). He will do two things- one is to integrate Taliban-Afghan-Local Pak Terrorists and infiltrate them into Kashmir to join hands with separatists to blow up the situation.

Two – he is likely to carry out ‘Sensational Strikes’ on soft targets like Bus Stands, Railway Stations, Army Family Quarters, Military administrative bases like Ammunition Dumps, Supply Depots etc and engineer suicide bomber attacks on Prominent Leaders. Unconfirmed reports also indicate that few terrorists have already crossed over from Shopian to carry out strikes against Military Camps of Sunjuwan & Nagrota. We should not take it lightly but be on ‘Guard & Alert’.

Commenting on Pak deployment and likelihood of War by Pak, Lt Gen Sharma, BJP State Spokesperson and Defence Analyst said that presently Pak has no capability (Diplomatic, Economic & Military) to initiate a war and the move of troops by him is only precautionary to avoid being surprised (caught pants down like Balakot).  Also this is a preparatory move to be ready after a ‘Major Terrorist Strike’ by Masood Azhar & Co because India may undertake counter action to avenge that and in turn get a free run to take back POJK which India has been openly classifying as Part II after Revoking of Article 370.