Pak Army over-stretched: Expert

A strategic expert has said that the army is getting over-stretched owing to its commitments in internal security duties.

Observing that Pakistan was witnessing "vicious" insurgencies which had the potential to lead to its breakup, a strategic expert has said army has got over-stretched due to its internal security duties and the "anti-India catalyst" that sustained it was no longer effective.

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"Pakistan Army is getting over-stretched owing to its commitments in internal security duties and deployment on its borders with India and Afghanistan.

Internally, the anti-India catalyst that sustained Pakistan Army is no longer effective," Capt (Retd) Bharat Verma, Editor of Indian Defence Review, said.

The internal instability in Pakistan was "fast acquiring proportions which could lead to further breakup of the country -- all due to sheer myopic policies pursued by its military junta," he said in the editorial in the forthcoming issue of the premier defence journal.

Observing that the affected areas of Waziristan, Balochistan, NWFP and Northern Areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, have been "historically difficult to control and administer," he said 55 per cent of Pakistan's area, including these regions, was witnessing "vicious insurgencies, which, if not controlled, could lead to further vivisection of the country."

Verma said if these "multiple fault lines" were not adequately addressed, it could lead to "internal strife and break up of Pakistan".