Pak cancels soldiers' Id leave as tension on border mounts

Pak cancels soldiers' Id leave as tension on border mounts
GAURAV C. SAWANT

NEW DELHI, MARCH 17: Tension on the Indo-Pak border, the Line of Control and the Siachen glacier has proved to be a dampener for the festive season. Pakistan is learnt to have cancelled Id leave for soldiers manning its border with India and similar -- though not as strict -- restrictions have been imposed on Indian soldiers for Holi. The insurgency situation too has the Army and the police worried.

In fact, Defence Minister George Fernandes has said in an interview with CNN that there is an effort to create a situation in Kargil ``similar'' to that of May last year and warned Pakistan that India's response would be ``very strong''.

``On the other side in the northern sector in Pakistan there has been a lot of activity. There is construction of roads, there are hangars that are being constructed underground,'' he said.

``We have intelligence inputs which indicate that the Pakistan army has cancelled the Id leave of its soldiers. It needs no emphasis that the situation along the 740-km LoC and the 110-km Siachen glacier is very tense. Pakistan probably anticipates trouble as we do and therefore this step,'' sources said.

Even on Thursday, Pakistani troops resorted to shelling in the border town of Uri in North Kashmir, damaging a number of houses, official sources said. The unprovoked shelling started around 2300 hours and continued for four hours, the sources said.

Generally small arms and occasional mortar fire exchanges are expected even during the Indo-Pak cricket matches by both sides to celebrate or avenge the results. ``There are also exchanges of fire during the festival season, but this time the situation is different. The tension has been palpable after the recent exchange of heavy artillery fire and incursions south of Pir Panjal. What has made the situation more worrisome this time is President Bill Clinton's visit. Just two days left and anything can happen any time,'' the official added.

The Army expects trouble around the Clinton visit which coincides with Holi which coincide. In fact, even the Border Security Force (BSF) formations which are under the operational command of the Army have been asked to stay alert. ``Though we have not cancelled the leave of our troops, there is certainly some restriction around festivals. This time too there are no official orders to cancel the Holi leave or recall soldiers but formations have been careful not only along the LoC and Siachen's Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) but also in the counter-insurgency operations,'' sources in the Army Headquarters said.

``Patrolling and cordon-and-search operations have been intensified in the Valley, north Kashmir and, of course, south of Pir Panjal. In fact in Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur and Jammu, both the police and the Army have beefed up security around Hindu populated villages and towns. That is where trouble is expected closer to Holi,'' the sources said.