New Delhi, September 18

Enraged over the terror attack on an Army battalion in Uri, former Army officers today sought urgent action against Pakistan, including keeping the “military option open” to deal with terror from its soil. “We must have our military option open, if required to strike at certain places,” Lt Gen BS Jaswal (retd) said here.“Bring pickets, which have launch pad, to the ground, raze them to the ground. The reason is that till the time it does not hurt Pakistan physically, they would not understand our decency,” said Lt Gen Jaswal, who was GOC-in-C of the Northern Command.“Pakistan keeps doing it (terror strikes) time and again knowing that we would not take any action,” Major Gaurav Arya (retd), who has expertise in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, said.The problems in Kashmir are “systematically manufactured” at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, he alleged, adding “We must take immediate action. Stop trade with Pakistan, downgrade (its) Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status. The world must know we are serious.”Questioning the absence of two service chiefs at the meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, former Army Chief General Shankar Roy Chowdhury said these actions were coming from Pakistan. “We have this meeting chaired by No 2 in the government, that is the Home Minister, where the RAW chief and CRPF chief are present. Who is doing these actions (terror attacks)? It is coming from across the border, from Pakistan,” he said.“Is the CRPF chief going to look at Pakistan? Where are the Chief of Army and Chief of Naval Staff? Why they were not available to give (advice on) strategic action to the Government,” he asked. — PTI

EXPERTVIEW

We must have our military option open, if required to strike at certain places. — Lt Gen BS Jaswal (retd) Preventing a suicide attack is difficult, but damage control is always possible. — Lt Gen SA Hasnain (retd)No defences are foolproof, though we aim to make it so but the essence is reaction. — Gen KJ Singh (retd)Pakistan keeps doing it (terror strikes) time and again knowing that we will not take any action. — Major Gaurav Arya (retd)