Stay in country, Service chiefs told; troops on alert

Sources said the chiefs have also been advised to pass on similar instructions to their key operational commanders so as to be able to effect “complete readiness” to face any eventuality. At present, the aim is to maintain enhanced operational vigil for which requisite formations in all three forces are on alert.

Troops that were involved in routine exercises or were on operational alert in Punjab and Rajasthan have been asked to stay on well after the duration of these exercises got over this month. No fixed time limit has been given to withdraw with one-third strike elements also being moved in to ensure extra vigil given the unspecified yet alarming reports emerging from Islamabad.

The Defence forces have also been asked to indicate any equipment or ammunition they would need through fast procurement means. While no proposal has so far been received, sources said, each service was still to complete evaluating its immediate requirements.

While India is being careful about not causing unnecessary alarm in Western capitals by amassing troops like in 2002, sources said, the effort is to maintain a more alert posture so that the time taken for full operational readiness is reduced to the minimum. More so, the Army particularly has fine-tuned these aspects of troop deployment after the lessons it drew from Operation Parakaram.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has reviewed defence preparedness twice already since Mumbai, and was briefed on Friday about what the three services have done so far. Broadly, the government is trying to achieve a delicate balance between not doing anything to fuel the “inappropriate” war hysteria in Pakistan while at the same time stepping up preparedness in what appears to be an unpredictable and deteriorating security environment.

Meanwhile, concerns have grown in Pakistan where Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called in envoys of key countries posted in Islamabad on Friday to tell them that Pakistan feared a military assault from India. Even though Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Satyabrata Pal told the Pakistan Foreign Ministry that there was no threatening troop build-up on the Indian side, particularly compared to the disproportionate war propaganda in Pakistan, Islamabad continued feeding the tension to divert focus from the Mumbai investigations.

From an Indian standpoint, sources said, New Delhi has no offensive intent but is well within its right to remain prepared in the light of unprovoked developments in Pakistan and growing hostility in Pakistani military discourse. The Pak Army has already got Washington worried with reports that it has started pulling out some troops from the FATA and NWFP, which is likely to bring more diplomatic pressure on India.

New Delhi, however, is clear that it will continue to press ahead diplomatically and close no option till it sees concrete movement on Mumbai investigations, which would ultimately mean access to those who conceived, planned and executed the Mumbai attack.