Pahalgam Attack: Retired IAF Officer, Ex-J&K DGP Back Tough Measures Against Pak

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Following the sweeping decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in the aftermath of the horrific Pahalgam terror attack, Indian Air Force Wing Commander (Retd.) Praful Bakshi on Thursday said the measures were long overdue and should have been implemented 40 years ago.

He also asserted that the attack, which claimed 26 lives and injured many, was orchestrated directly by the Pakistani Army.

Speaking to IANS, Wing Commander Bakshi said, "These decisions should have been made 40 years ago. These are not even the strictest possible actions. We should conduct surgical strikes and reclaim the illegally occupied territories from Pakistan. Unless we take such steps, they will not be affected."

He stated that Pakistan has little global support after repeatedly sponsoring terrorism. "No foreign country supports them except China, Bangladesh, and a few Islamic nations that secretly back them. Even the people of Pakistan won't support their own government when they realise it is facilitating terrorism."

Calling Pakistan's propaganda divisive, Bakshi said, "They tell the people, especially in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), that they are superior because they are Muslims and we are Hindus. But most of the population in PoK are converts; I know that region well -- they're from my own village."

He described the current diplomatic fallout as the "lowest point" in India-Pakistan relations.

"When embassies are nearly shut down, attaches recalled, borders sealed, visas revoked, and people given 48 hours to leave -- that means relations have hit rock bottom,' he added.

Highlighting Pakistan's dependence on India, Bakshi said these sanctions would deeply impact them.

He added that the Indian Armed Forces are fully prepared for any escalation. "The Indian military is ever ready and doesn't need special preparation," he stated.

Echoing similar sentiments, former Jammu and Kashmir DGP S.P. Vaid lauded the decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.

Speaking to IANS, Vaid said, "These measures were necessary to jolt Pakistan. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, was heavily lopsided. India gave away 70 per cent of the river water to Pakistan as a gesture of goodwill. But Pakistan never valued this generosity and interpreted it as weakness."

Vaid pointed to a clause in the treaty allowing withdrawal under dissatisfaction and said it was time to invoke it. "These measures target Pakistan's deep state -- its Army and the ISI -- which continue to sponsor cross-border terrorism."

Backing the broader CCS response, he said, "Whether it's shutting the Attari border or reducing embassy staff from 55 to 30, these actions will put considerable pressure on Pakistan. The message is clear: Pakistan should be afraid now."

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