India Needs To Be Prepared As Pakistan Will Make Noise: Ex-Army Chief On Abrogation Of Article 370

Former army chief V P Malik on Tuesday said that India needs to be prepared for Pakistan will "make noise" over Centre's move to revoke Article 370.

"India has to be prepared not only diplomatically but also on the ground because Pakistan would try to internationalise the issue," Malik said.

"Pakistan will make noise and will not sit quietly," Malik added. 

Article 370 which gave special status and privileges to the state of Jammu and Kashmir was on Monday revoked by the government. Apart from that the government also proposed a bill to bifurcate the state into union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir with a legislative assembly and Ladakh without one. The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a national seminar on India's National Security: Kargil to Present Times, Malik said the decision of the government was "correct and bold" and in the interest of the national security.

"If you look at the long term perspective of national security it was a correct move. It was a bold move and it would have long term benefits in protecting the national security," he said.

Malik, who was the army chief during the Kargil War, said that in the current situation it appeared that the two regional parties were increasing the gap between Kashmiris and the rest of the country. In that light, he said, the move was necessary.

"Over the years I have seen that somehow regional political parties of Kashmir have been increasing the gap between the Kashmiris and the rest of the country so much so that at times it used to appear that both these political parties have joined hands with the separatists," he said.

(PTI)