Army, Navy, Air Force must formulate 'military' response to Pakistan: Yashwant Sinha

Asserting that time has come when India responds in equal measure to Pakistan following the deadly terror strike in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 17 army soldiers lost their lives, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former union minister Yashwant Sinha on Monday called for a military response, adding that the nation's three forces must formulate an action plan and present it to the Centre.

Speaking to ANI here, Sinha stated that responding to Pakistan must be left with the military, adding that the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force should sit together to work out a response and then inform the government.

"Then it is up to the government to not only approve the plan of the army, but also take adequate diplomatic measures to inform the public opinion globally about why India has been forced to do what Indian Army must be doing," he said.

Stating that the 'military response' should be New Delhi's current policy with Islamabad, Sinha added that India must let go of the strategy to engage with Pakistan and establish a level of friendship.

Maintaining his stern stand, the senior BJP stated that Pakistan has always ditched India and been at war, which is why they should never be trusted with to take action.

"I was never in favour of a Pakistani team coming to Pathankot because I knew nothing is going to come out of it. Nothing has come out of the Mumbai attack in 2008. In eight years the people who are responsible for that dastardly attack on Mumbai have not been brought to book in Pakistan," Sinha said.

Emphasising that Pakistan will never take action against terrorists, whom they themselves are giving shelter and sponsoring, he stated that the terrorist elements are aiding Pakistan's policy of enmity with India.

Refering to the Pakistan Army, Sinha stated that they have never been interested in friendship and are daring India saying, "to do what you will, but we will continue with our acts of cross border terrorism."

However, Pakistan has flatly refused New Delhi's claims of Islamabad's involvement in Uri terror attack, stating that said that pointing fingers on them has become a traditional tendency of India after each terrorist attack.

"Pointing fingers at Pakistan has become a traditional tendency of India after each terrorist attack," the Dawn quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria as saying.

"In the past many Indians were involved in the terrorist acts for which India had blamed Pakistan," he asserted.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has lashed out at Pakistan branding it as a 'terrorist state', adding that he was disappointed by Islamabad's continued support to terrorism and terrorist groups.

Calling Pakistan a 'terrorist state' and stating that it should be identified and isolated as such, the Home Minister added that there are definite and conclusive indications that the perpetrators of Uri attack were highly trained, heavily armed and specially equipped.

"I am deeply disappointed with Pakistan's continued and direct support to terrorism and terrorist groups," he said in a series of tweets.

In one of the worst attack in recent times, at least 17 soldiers lost their lives and 30 others injured post the terror strike on an army camp close to the headquarters of the 12th Brigade at Uri in Baramulla district.

All four terrorists have been killed in what has emerged as worse than the attack on the Pathankot air base earlier in January this year, in which seven army men were killed.

Director General of Military operation Lt. Ranbir Singh yesterday said that the four terrorists, who attacked the military base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, belonged to Pakistan's banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).