DG of BSF Pankaj Kumar Singh has warned about the possibility of Pakistan using Taliban fighters and arms and war equipment left behind by US-led forces before withdrawings troops from Afghanistan, for ‘waging jihad’ in Kashmir, Times of India has reported.
“We are very sensitive to this aspect. We are regularly monitoring and tracking terror plans and conspiracies hatched across the border, and since this is to be done by intelligence agencies, we are in touch with them to keep a strict watch. The government is very concerned and careful lest it is caught unawares,” he was quoted as saying by the national newspaper.
Stating that BSF has deployed around 62 companies, or roughly 6,000 troops, in Kashmir purely for law and order duties – years after it made way for CRPF to assist the J-K police in this function – Singh said this was done at the request of J-K police following the string of targeted civilian killings in October.
“The main force for law and order there is CRPF…a huge chunk of CRPF. BSF that way is a much smaller composition as of now. But yes, we have sent this from all over because they probably thought that after the targeted killings that happened, it would be very essential and in interest of trying to build more confidence in the people in the rural areas as well as in Srinagar…that more forces should be seen and should be assisting J&K police in their law and order role,” he told mediapersons.