Pakistan has advanced its troops and Air Force closer to the Sindh-Rajasthan and Punjab borders with India besides deploying the naval flotilla of frigates and submarines engaged in aggressive patrolling of the sea, media reports said in Islamabad on Monday. Quoting senior officials, Pakistani daily ‘The news’ said, Pakistan Navy has also commissioned its surveillance aircraft such as the P-3 Orion to collect real-time maritime intelligence.
They said Indian troops' build-up on the borders surprised them as it ran contrary to the assurances received in Islamabad from Washington where the Departments of State and Defence were working closely with New Delhi to defuse the tension, it said.
Pakistan's strategic command was engaged in the past 48 hours in redeploying medium range ballistic missile batteries, the report said. Pakistani officials confirmed yesterday that columns of Pakistani troops left cantonments in the Punjab and Sindh late Saturday evening to take forward positions closer to borders with India, the paper said.
Amongst the corps that received movement orders on Saturday were Pakistan Army's strike corps one and two positioned at Mangla and Multan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has cancelled leave for troops and recalled all its military personnel on leave as part of its high alert to the build-up of Indian troops in Rajasthan, Sindh and central Punjab borders. Bureau Report