Reaction on Uri spells government's strategic shift: Ex-Army Chief

Former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Bikram Singh (retd) on Sunday said the government response so far to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir which was sponsored by Pakistan, spells an "important strategic shift" .

"It is a question now perhaps to do something and that's what the government has been talking about. You have heard the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), you have heard other senior leaders of national polity... which are very very strong statements. I think this spells very important strategic shift in our policy vis-a-vis Pakistan. That's a very positive development," Singh told TimesNow television news channel.

He said Pakistan was certainly behind the attack. "We know for almost 20 years now that Pakistan is doing it," he said, adding the guns and other weapons used by the terrorists were "actually supplied by Pakistan" and were something "which are not available off the shelf".

On the use of "incendiary" arms by the terrorists as claimed by Director General, military Operations, Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, he said: "Let's be very forthright. It has been supplied by Pakistan. It is ordinance ammunition made by the ordinance factory of the army and has white phosphorous content. It is not available off the shelf."

"Therefore it only supports the point that it (the attack) was supported and sponsored by Pakistani establishment," he added.

--IANS

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