'No Pak military build-up at borders'

Indian Army dismisses reports of Pak's military build-up along the borders, saying presence of the neighbouring country's troops seemed like routine exercises.

Indian Army on Tuesday dismissed reports of Pakistan's military build-up along the borders, saying presence of the neighbouring country's troops seemed like routine exercises, but asserted it is always ready to tackle any eventuality.

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It also claimed that the infiltration from across the border with Pakistan had gone down every year since 2005.

"It only seems like routine movements and exercise- related relocation of troops by Pakistan and not a build-up. But we are always ready for any situation," Army's Western Commander Lt-Gen T K Sapru told reporters here after an investiture parade.

Sapru said infiltration from across the border had gone down since 2005-06 when he was a corps commander in Jammu and Kashmir. Sapru had, before becoming an army commander, headed the Nagrota-based 16 Corps posted near Jammu.

"Infiltration has in the last two or three years come down considerably. Perhaps, after 2005-06, it has come down from 400 to 20/30 in a year," he said.

Earlier, Sapru presented gallantry medals, decorations and service medals to about 50 army officers at the investiture ceremony after reviewing the parade in which the army exhibited its might with T-90 tanks, BrahMos cruise missiles, OSA-AK air defence guns and a march past by Special Forces and troops.