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Army chief welcomes Agni II test

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Chief of Army Staff General Ved Prakash Malik today expressed satisfaction at the successful testing of the Agni II intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Addressing a press conference at the corps headquarters at Badami Bagh, Gen Malik said, "Our defence policy is defensive in nature and not targeted against any particular country".

He said, "Our policy is to react only when we are attacked. Nobody should consider it a threat."

The army chief noted that some countries already have "capabilities much higher than that".

He described the recent Lahore Declaration as a "national policy" and added, "We [the armed forces] follow national policy."

Gen Malik, however, said there has been no change on the ground after the declaration. "We had expected that there will be no infiltration and interference", but attempts at infiltration from across the border continue.

He, however, said "there has been some improvement in the overall situation in Kashmir" and the infiltrators will be given a "befitting reply".

The army chief will visit the Siachen glacier tomorrow. In the past two days he has visited several forward areas and met the troops.

Gen Malik had a detailed review of the overall situation with Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Governor G C Saxena.

He also held discussions with the state police chief and senior army commanders.

He said the morale of his troops in the valley is high. He also ruled out any Kosovo-type international intervention in Kashmir.

The army chief denied that the pro-government militants are on the payroll of the security forces. "These people have suffered and are now helping the army," he said.

Meanwhile, J&K Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahmad Lone said militancy-related incidents have come down 50 per cent in the last three years with exfiltration now almost negligible. Against 8,731 militancy-related incidents in 1995,there were only 4,150 such incidents in the state in 1998.

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