Pak-China military links a worry for India

India will not hesitate to launch a short intense war in case of a 'misadventure' by Pakistan, Air Marshal K D Singh, Commander-in-Chief of South-Western Air Command (SWAC), has said.

"In case of a misadventure of Pakistan triggered by major terrorist attack or the attack like the one we had on Parliament, attack on our leader, a major city, public or hijacking an aircraft, any such action by them can obviously lead to a reaction from India, which could be a short intense war," the Air Marshal said.

"India is a stable democracy surrounded by Pakistan, China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which are troubled states," Singh said while delivering a lecture on 'Military view of Indian National Security' at a function in Ahmedabad.

He said there has been a conflict with these bordering countries since 1947, and the conflicts with Pakistan and China have caused major concerns.

"Policy of Pakistan to bleed India with thousand cuts was initiated by General Zia-ul-Haq in 1987-88 to start terrorism against India," Singh said.

He said that economic installations, especially oil refineries in Jamnagar, were highly potential terrorist targets.

Maintaining that nuclear parity between the two countries was a cause of conflict, Singh said, "Nuclear capability is a manner of assuring peace by and large world over, but in this continent this has given enough room to Pakistan to carry out small conflict and terrorist attacks against India."

He said a stable government in Pakistan was required to maintain peace.

"Taliban area in Swat valley in Pakistan is a fall out of the American intervention in Afghanistan. Military action in the valley done recently was dictated by the US, but what is the fall out of it is an economically and bitterly unstable Pakistan which has serious implications for India," Singh said.

He said that India was concerned about the strategic relations of Pakistan and China.

"Pakistan, which used to get arms from US earlier, is now getting them from China. After the US involvement in Afghanistan reduced arms flow, Pakistan was greatly assisted by China," he said.

"The ability to produce plutonium, which is used in nuclear wars is a gift of China (to Pakistan) in a way. The nuclear facility in Pakistan was built by China, which could produce plutonium of war grade, which is being used today by to make nuclear weapons," Singh said.

Singh said military assistance from China to Pakistan was increasing by the day. "GF 16, GF 10 and GF 11 fighter planes are waiting to come to Pakistan," he added.

Another area of concern for India was the efforts of China to change the ethnicity of the Tibet Autonomous region (TAR) which is under its control.

"The TAR is being developed by China. It has gradually started changing the ethnicity of the area by shifting in the Chinese into Tibet and moving out the Tibetans out of region to other parts of China," Singh said.

Other reasons for India to be concerned about China were its military assistance to the military-ruled Myanmar and its presence in the Indian Ocean, he said.

"China has been supporting the military regime in Myanmar which has become a heaven for anti-national elements. India's interest is to curb these elements," Singh said.

Describing Gujarat as the 'soft underbelly' of India, Singh said that there are number of establishments of economic importance like the refineries and ports along the state's coastline makes it potential target of terrorist attacks.