SECTION 3  - (CHAPTER 9)

STATEMENT ON SITUATION ALONG  INDO - PAKISTAN BORDER

Lok Sabha on 23 August, 1965

I rise to make a statement on the situation along the Cease Fire Line and elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir as well as along the Indo - Pakistan borders.

As hon. Members are aware, for the last 11 days we have had to face a new development posing a threat to the security of State of Jammu and Kashmir. This threat has taken the shape of an organised incursion of armed personnel disguised as civilians from across the Cease Fire Line. It was on the 5th August that a large group of infiltrators appeared in the area South - West of Gulmarg. Prompt steps were taken to locate them and after an exchange of fire with our Security Forces, the infiltrators fled under cover of darkness. A quantity of ammunition left by the raiders was recovered. Since then reports of other groups infiltrating into different parts of Jammu and Kashmir have been received and steps have been taken to meet the situation. In the clashes from the initial encounters onwards, the infiltrators have suffered substantial casualties. In the process of retreat they have left behind large quantities of arms and ammunition, clothing, cooked food, medical supplies, compasses, maps etc.

While some of the infiltrators encountered near the Cease Fire Line have retreated across it, some others have penetrated further towards our side and regrouped themselves. All these infiltrators have had as their aim the blowing up of strategic bridges, the raiding of supply dumps, the destruction of places of strategic importance, incendiarism and the killing of VIPs. It also appears that their aim was to reach quickly the city of Srinagar and create commotion there. They have operated during night to reduce chances of being seen and intercepted. 

From the intelligence gathered by us and confirmed by the statements made by the infiltrators captured by us, it is quite clear that preparations for these incursions were made in Pakistan many months ago. The headquarters training these infiltrators was located near Murree and the Commander of the 12th Infantry Division of Pakistan was in charge of this training. The infiltrators were backed by a so - called Sada - e - Kashmir radio broadcasting from the town of Khari, six miles from Muzaffarabad, while they carried posters and proclamations of an alleged revolutionary council. The arms and ammunition taken by us show quite clearly that they are of the type used by the Pakistan army. In some cases efforts have been made to erase the markings. In some other cases markings exist to indicate the Pakistan origin. On others there are no markings at all, which shows that they were specially manufactured for these operations, evidently by Pakistan ordnance factories. Also, some of the weapons could only be obtained from abroad with the expenditure of foreign exchange obviously provided by Pakistan.