Addressing the media during his ongoing five-day-long visit to the strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir, the army chief said he did not agree with the international viewpoint that Agni would disturb the regional balance. Some countries in the region already have capabilities higher than that, he added.

In response to a query, Malik expressed satisfaction at the performance of the 155mm Howitzer (Bofors) guns all along the Line of Control from Uri to Siachen.

``It is a good gun system and has performed well,'' he said. On the reported incidents of sexual exploitation of Kashmiri women by foreign militants, Malik said there were many reports of such a nature.

Though he said the Lahore declaration was the nationalpolicy and the army stood by it, General Malik expressed regret at the attitude of the Pakistan forces. ``We wanted them to stop interfering in our matters and sending in infiltrators across the line of control. Far from it, there is no change in the ground situation,'' he said.

Speaking on the situation in the Valley, General Malik said he had met both Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Governor G C Saxena along with a few state ministers. ``All of us agreed that there was an improvement in the situation with a firm indicator being a high number of tourists expected this summer. This we know by the bookings in hotels and house boats,'' he said.

Reacting to allegations of human rights violations against the Army, the general said: ``I and the Army do not have to be defensive. The track record of the army is the best in the world and a few aberrations that do take place are dealt with sternly.'' He also said that ``motivated'' reports were appearing against the army in a section of the media.

Both heand Lieutenant General Krishan Pal, G-O-C 15 Corps, categorically stated that the Army had not kept any `Ikhwanis' or counter insurgents on its pay rolls and such were not responsible for giving them training in human rights. ``They act like our eyes and ears and give us information on militants and are paid for it like any other source of information.