Pakistan’s beheading charge false: Antony

indiatimes.com

India on Thursday rejected Pakistan's claims that Indian troops had beheaded several of its soldiers in the past, with defence minister AK Antony dubbing the allegations "totally baseless". The Indian Army said it "did not indulge in unsoldierly acts" like the Pakistan army, "regular" troops of which had beheaded Lance-Naik Hemraj and mutilated the body of another soldier of 13 Rajputana Rifles after crossing over into the Mendhar sector in J&K on January 8. As per some reports, Pakistan army has complained to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) that Indian troops over the last 15 years had executed, beheaded several of its soldiers in cross-border raids. "The very fact that Pakistan has not raised any such issue in bilateral interactions, including DGMO-level talks, since 1998 shows the allegations levelled against the Indian Army are misleading. Moreover, since the 1972 Simla Agreement, the relevance of UNMOGIP itself is questionable," a senior officer said. Antony, on his part, said though the tension along the line of control in J&K had "reduced" after the two armies stopped exchanging cross-border fire on January 16, India will not be hasty in normalizing relations with Pakistan. "We can't lower our guard. We have to be vigilant all the time ... we have to wait and watch," he said.