Jammu, Jan 12 (IANS) In a toughening of stance towards Pakistan, Defence Minister A.K. Antony Tuesday charged the neighbouring country with backing infiltrators and their plans to cause disruption in Jammu and Kashmir.
His remarks come a day after a trooper was killed in Pakistani firing in Poonch.

The defence minister told a meeting of senior army commanders, paramilitary force and police officials that it was evident now that “Pakistan was backing infiltrators who were making attempts to sneak in and cause disruption in this state”.

He said he was confident that the security forces were capable of dealing with the situation.

Antony’s reference was to the repeated incidents of firing on the Line of Control (LoC) that separates Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

“Pakistan should live up to its word of not allowing terrorists to use its soil for terror acts in the neighbouring country,” he said.

A Border Security Force trooper was killed in Pakistani firing in Sabzian sector in Poonch, 230 km north of Jammu, Monday morning.

The unified command meeting, where he made these observations, was attended, among others, by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal besides senior army officers and representatives of intelligence agencies.