Pak denying 'surgical strikes' to defend reputation of Army Chief Raheel Sharif: Tilak Devasher

Asserting that there was no question of retaliation from Pakistan over the 'surgical strikes' by India as they had flatly denied the operation in the first place, Tilak Devasher, former Special Secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat stated that Islamabad was in denial mode right now to defend the reputation of its Army Chief Raheel Sharif, who had boasted of his army's capability to counter any threat.

Speaking to ANI here, Devasher said that Pakistan never expecting India to cross the LoC was a huge miscalculation on their part, which they cannot admit that they failed to analyse.

"You'll recall in 1965 war also, Pakistan did not think that India would cross the IB and then India did cross it and attack Lahore and their Army was caught totally by surprise. That's one reason they are in denial," he said.

Explaining the second reason behind Pakistan's denial, Devasher quoted Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif's statement a day after the Uri terror attack where he said that "taking notice of a hostile narrative being propagated by India, the Pakistan Army is fully prepared to respond to the entire spectrum of direct and indirect threats" and on 23rd September Sharif followed this up by telling the officers at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre that Pakistan Army would defend every inch of Pakistan no matter what the cost and that Pakistan's Armed Forces have the capability to counter the threat spectrum.

"After saying this, the Indian Army carried out the very daring and spectacular attack. Pakistan has gone into denial mode to defend the reputation of its Army Chief. I think that's the reason why they are in denial. They cannot admit that after the Army Chief's statement, India made the attack," he said.

When asked about the impending reaction from Pakistan to the operation by the Indian Army, he asserted that Islamabad cannot retaliate as they said that no such attack took place.

Adding that the Pakistan Army simply cannot cross the LoC and attack purely on the basis of retaliatory fire, Devasher stated that LoC firing has been happening for the last so many decades.

Emphasising that the focus of these strikes were not on their Army but the launching pads from where the terrorists were going to cross over and attack in Kashmir and other metro, the former government official stated that it was a very calibrated attack focused only on the terror camps.

"The fact that there were some Pakistan Army people in the camps shows the linkage between Pakistan army and the terrorists," he added.

Pakistan on Thursday rejected India's claim it had conducted surgical strikes on alleged terrorist launch pads along LoC, saying that New Delhi is doing it only to please the media and public.

In a statement, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said, "The Pakistani Army gave befitting response to the Indian army. Indian Army opened up small arm fire last night on five sectors across LoC. India is doing this under a well-planned objective. If India tries to do this again, we will respond forcefully. India is doing this only to please their media and public."

However, Pakistan claimed that two of its Army soldiers have been killed by Indian troops in cross-border firing along the Line of Control, while rejecting any claim of 'surgical strikes'.