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Experts believe the move would force a frustrated US to lay more pressure on India to scale down tension. (Reuters) |
ISLAMABAD — Amid rising tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors over last month's Mumbai attacks, Pakistan redeployed thousands of troops from the troubled tribal area to the borders with India.
"We have started moving troops from the western borders to the eastern borders after Indian threats of so-called surgical strikes inside Pakistan," a senior army official told IslalmOnline.net.
He said some 20,000 troops have been moved to the eastern borders.
"The 14th Division is being re-deployed to the towns of Kasur and Sialkot, close to the Indian border."
The official said many aircraft have also been called on "emergency duty."
India blames Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant group outlawed by Pakistan years ago, for last month's Mumbai attacks, which left 164 people dead.
Islamabad has repeatedly expressed willingness to cooperate with India in investigating the attacks but New Delhi has offered no solid proof that Pakistani nationals were involved.
"We don't want to have aggression with our neighbors. We want to have friendly relations with our neighbors," Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said.
"I assure you once again that we will not act. We will only react."
Pakistan and India have fought three wars since their 1947 independence and came on the brink of a fourth over a 2001 attacks on the Indian parliament.
US Loser
The army official said a minimum number of troops will remain deployed along the Afghan border.
"We have no other option left. Our sovereignty and safety are much more important than anything, including the war on terror," he stressed.
"The movement of troops from western borders has understandably reduced the level of strikes against militants in the tribal belt, including South Waziristan, Bajur, and other areas.
"I don't have specific numbers, but I can safely say that the strikes have reduced to almost 30 to 40 percent."
Defense and security analysts believe the US and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan will be the big loser.
"Pakistan has no threat from Afghanistan, though there is an ostensible presence of anti-Pakistan elements, but they are not capable of posing any major threat," Abdul Khalique Ali, a Karachi-based analyst, told IOL.
"They can easily be countered by Pakistani tribesmen."
Ali believes the troop deployment will further accelerate Taliban attacks in war-torn Afghanistan.
"Pakistani troops have been acting as a defense shield between Taliban and NATO troops.
"No doubt the cross border infiltration has not been completely stopped, but even the US administration admits that it has been reduced to a great extent. And that is only because of Pakistani troops."
Analysts expect the redeployment decision to anger Washington.
"It is indeed a matter of frustration for the US," Ali said.
Washington, which has urged Pakistan and India to avoid escalation, sent its Central Command Chief Michael Mollin to Islamabad last week to persuade the government not to move troops from the tribal area.
"The army chief (general Ashfaq Kyani) showed pictures of Indian aircraft flying over Pakistani airspace and other proofs regarding Indian preparations for surgical strikes," the senior army official explained.
"Mollin asked him to show restrain in case of airspace violation by India, but the army chief told him that there would be no restrain next time."
Ali, the analyst, believes Pakistan has started playing its cards.
"The US cannot afford movement of Pakistani troops from western borders, therefore it has no second option but to put pressure on India this time to show restrain.
"It's not the US will, but the US interests, which would push India to desist from surgical strikes."
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