India wary amid possibility of ‘military takeover’ in Pakistan

Amid massive unrest in Pakistan after its former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest, India is keeping a tight watch on the development in the neighbouring country. Diplomatic sources told The Daily Guardian that India is closely following the developments in Pakistan primarily on two fronts—diplomatic and security. “Diplomatic activities in Islamabad and also any Pakistan-related meeting in other Western countries including the US and the UK are being closely watched,” sources said, adding, “Similarly, Indian security establishments including the Indian Army and other defence forces have been asked to be on the high alert amid the reports that attempts could be made by the neighbouring country to create a situation at the LOC with India to distract domestic attention from the on-going turmoil.”
Sources told this newspaper that meetings are being held regularly at the MEA, MHA and the Army Headquarters in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been updated at regular intervals on the development in the neighbourhood, sources added. Top officials and diplomats are regularly discussing the volatile situation in Pakistan, assessing every single input that the MEA is gathering through its diplomatic networks, sources said.
“Indian intelligence agencies are already on the high alert, with the MEA being in regular touch with the foreign offices and embassies and high commissions of other countries in an attempt to ensure close monitoring of the situation in Pakistan,” sources said. The entire exercise in India is quite necessary amid the reports based on experts’ analyses of the situation and other inputs that Pakistan Army may have to control the situation in the neighbouring country, sources added.
“There is an unprecedented anger against the military in Pakistan and Imran Khan’s arrest has created a civil-war like situation in Pakistan. And with this being the case, Pakistan army’s dirty game to create problems from across the border cannot be ruled out,” an official told TDG. “This has happened in the past as well, when both the Pakistani government and the army tried to create a situation along LoC and International Border to divert the attention from the internal chaos and problems,” he added