Retd Defence Personnel at India Tv conclave
Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia (Retd) has said the targets for India's air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan were chosen with precision. He was speaking at India TV's day-long conclave Vande Mataram on Saturday.
“After the Balakot strike, there was a chance of war but our nation is strong and mature. The targets for the air strikes were very well chosen and there were no civilian or military damage,” he said today.
Talking about the current state of events, he said the threat from Pakistan remains and our forces will always have to be alert and in a state of readiness. He said India doesn’t want war, but an end to terrorism.
He also said the explosives used in the Pulwama attack were Pakistani made. The ISI and the Pakistani Army runs the state policy in Pakistan and they give everything to the terrorists we have to increase the cost for them, Vinod Bhatia said.
Also present with him at the India TV Conclave were Retd Air Marshal Paramjit Singh Ahluwalia and Maj Gen Bhishambar Dayal, who agreed that Pakistan with its current economic state cannot afford a prolonged war with India.
Talking about war, the former Air Marshal said “War cannot be fought just like that, it requires a lot of work."
"The routine Air Force exercises do not mean we are moving towards war. War in this region is not a possibility,” he said.
He added since Pakistan cannot fight a conventional war against India it will resort to the proxy war which indirectly means terrorism.
“The figures indicate there has been a rise in terrorism in the recent years. We need to rethink the efficiency of our policies,” he said.
Maj Gen Bhishambar Dayal recalled an incident after the Parliament attack. “I was called in the middle of the night to join early morning. That is the urgency that was shown. Within six days of the attack we were asked to mobilise. Pakistan was facing crisis at that time. Today I see no urgency, I talk to my sons in the army and there is no mobilisation," he said.
He added, “If you wanted a diplomatic response there were other ways, I am not a baba I am a soldier. Govt must give missions to the forces and then the forces should judge after the action whether the Mission has been accomplished or not.”
They all agreed that Pakistan has been harbouring terrorists for a long time, they helped the Taliban in Afghanistan against America and JEM and LET against India on their own soil.
