Post-mortem shows torture
Action
barbaric, says George
Tribune
News Service
NEW DELHI, June 11
The post-mortem report of the bodies of six Army
men of the 4th Jat Regiment, including that of Lieut
Saurab Kalia indicate that they were
"barbarically" tortured for many days before
being killed, Defence Minister George Fernandes said here
today.
The post-mortem
examination of the bodies had clearly established that
they were meted out "inhuman, cruel and
barbaric" treatment by Pakistan, Mr Fernandes told
mediapersons after paying tributes to the six Army men at
Delhi Cantonment.
"Our soldiers were
subjected to a very barbaric treatment and every kind of
torture by Pakistan for many days. They were then
brutally killed one by one about a week ago," Mr
Fernandes said.
Asked what would be the
Indian response to such a brutal action by Pakistan, he
said a "reply will be given at the right forum and
at the appropriate level."
The Defence Minister
said "Pakistan had violated "all norms of
civilised behaviour and international laws".
He said the action of
Pakistan was "unpardonable".
Mr Fernandes said the
issue would figure during talks with Pakistani Foreign
Minister Sartaj Aziz who was scheduled to reach here
tomorrow.
The post-mortem of the
six mutilated bodies was carried out at the Army Base
Hospital here.
Asked what was stopping
New Delhi from declaring a war against Pakistan, Mr
Fernandes shot back: "War is not declared at press
conferences."
He said whenever the
topic of missing Army men was taken up with Pakistan at
the Army level, "they always denied having any such
persons with them."
He said the six men,
Lieut Saurav Kalia and Sepoys Arjun Ram, Banwar Lal,
Bhikaram, Moola Ram and Naresh Singh, had been missing
since May 14 when a patrol party went to locate
infiltrators in Kargil.
To a question whether
India would take up the issue at the international level,
he said no such decision had been contemplated yet.
Asked to comment on
reports that Pakistan was taking Chinas help in the
operations, he retorted: "What they do is their
business. For us the battle is still on."
He expressed confidence
that the infiltrators would be driven out from Kargil
soon. "It is a matter of time before they are driven
out," he said.
Asked about other
missing soldiers, he said: "After this it is
difficult to answer in a positive way. But we expect that
they will be treated well before being returned to
us."
Maj Sudhir Mohan Kalia,
Ist Mechanised Infantry Regiment, brother of Lieut Saurab
Kalia, who was present, said: "I am proud of my
brother for having laid done his life defending the
country."
In a voice choked with
emotion, Major Kalia said: "This is not the
treatment that should be meted out to soldiers."
The body of Lieut Saurab
Kalia will be taken to Suggar village in Kangra district
for last rites.
Sources in Lieut
Kalias unit said the officer had volunteered to go
on the operation in the best traditions of the army.
Members of his unit then did not realise that was the
last time they would see him alive, they said.
ISLAMABAD (AFP):
Pakistan on Friday dismissed allegations that the bodies
of six Indian soldiers it returned home as a
"goodwill gesture" after they were killed in
Kashmir had been mutilated.
"It is a totally
crude attempt to malign Pakistan and its armed
forces," military spokesman Brig Rashid Qureshi.
"No Army would
mutilate the bodies in the first place and then return it
to the enemy. Their (Indias) propaganda has reached
ridiculous proportions."
Brig Qureshi said the
Indian soldiers were killed in an encounter with
Pakistani troops when they tried to attack a Pakistani
position on the dividing line of control in Kashmir more
than three weeks ago.
In the ensuing fight the
Indians "retreated", leaving behind the six
bodies in a ravine, he said.
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