Pakistan still poses biggest threat to national security says Ministry of Defence

"Pakistan remains the principal national security threat to India in all military dimensions," says an internal assessment by the Ministry of Defence shared with other agencies and key lawmakers. 
The backgrounder note accessed by Headlines Today says the expanding footprints of extremists and terrorist organisations in Pakistan and their linkages with radical activities in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) pose a clear threat to India's security. 
The report ties up with the latest ground assessment on "increasing Pakistani footprint" in terrorist activities in north and south of Pir Panjal - both along the line of control and in depth areas. 
Indian police officials take position behind a vehicle during an attack by militants backed by Pakistan at Mesar in Samba District, 20kms south-east of Jammu
Indian police officials take position behind a vehicle during an attack by militants backed by Pakistan at Mesar in Samba District, 20kms south-east of Jammu
The report says Pakistan continues to be embattled with sectarian violence and that several non-state actors continue to operate with impunity. 
"Regardless of the internal political dynamics of its country, the Pakistani army remains implacably hostile to India as a fundamental strategic principle," it said.
"Based on intelligence inputs and recent activities along the LoC, especially in north Kashmir - Shalbhot, Gujjardur and Fateh Gali operations - we have assessed that Pakistan has raised specialist troops to launch probe operations. 
"Once the highly trained in combat probe party engages with security forces or finds gaps along the LoC, the rest of the infiltration party penetrates and rushes for depth areas," sources said. 
Adding weight to the MoD report, sources in Udhampur-based Northern Command said: "Pakistan is preparing a Hybrid unit of specialist troops for simultaneous border action, which includes killing and beheading of jawans, and infiltration along the 772 km-long LoC." 
And that is not all. The report raises the alarm by telling policymakers that "in view of the threat perception, defence preparedness is ensured by the three services through a mix of border management and deployment. Our armed forces must be prepared for a full-fledged war with offensive capabilities against our adversaries." 
Sources on the ground say that with the J&K assembly and general elections, and US forces drawing down in Afghanistan, in the coming months they see increased terrorist movement being directly helped by the Pakistan army. 
The recent Keran operation is being seen as part of the new terror policy adopted by Pakistan. 
"In Keran sector, Pakistan army resorted to heavy firing, at times firing 1,000 rounds of medium and heavy machine guns in one night (September 24) to help its specialist troops infiltrate. The infiltrators usually return when challenged, but in this case they engaged the security forces for 3-4 days," sources say. 
Ultimately when they could not break through from here, they returned only to try from adjoining sectors. 
Commanders on ground concur with the MoD assessment that, "provocations by Pakistan cannot be ruled out, it is our (government) resolve that our response should be to retaliate in a manner that will deter Pakistan from such actions."