NEW DELHI - China should refrain from commenting on infrastructure development on the Indian side of the border since this had nothing to do with growing tensions in the region, a top military commander said Wednesday.

“It has nothing to do with rising tension in the region. I have not said anything about China constructing airfields in Tibet, then why should they comment on anything happening in the northeast or Ladakh,” the Indian Air Force (IAF) vice chief, Air Marshal P.K. Barbora, maintained while speaking to reporters here.

“Both sides are expanding their infrastructure. As India has not said anything about China building airfields in Tibet, in the same way, China should not comment about development of infrastructure on the Indian side,” Barbora added.

He said India was not “creating” anything new in the northeast. “Let me categorically tell you that we are creating nothing new in the northeast. We are only updating our existing infrastructure, roads and airfields”.

“We are definitely increasing the length of our airfields to 10-12,000 feet. As far as the number of (Chinese) airfields (in Tibet) goes, only one has been added in Linji (30 km from the Arunachal Pradesh border),” Barbora added.

Asked about China’s objection to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visit to Arunachal Pradesh, almost all of which Beijing claims, Barbora pointed out there was no protest when President Pratibha Patil went there recently.

“Why did they not object when President Patil, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces, recently visited Tawang (in Arunachal Pradesh). You have to read between the lines as to why they objected to the prime minister’s visit. It is because of the successful polls in Arunachal Pradesh (on Tuesday that saw a 72 percent voter turnout),” Barbora contended.

New security advisory issued to corps headquarters after militants attack on

GHQ

ISLAMABAD, Oct 14 (Online): New security advisory has been issued to all

corps headquarters under the directives of army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez

Kayani following the attack on General Headquarters (GHQ).

Military sources told Online Wednesday it was laid down in the circular

addressed to all divisional and brigade commanders that security staff

should not show any negligence and slackness in duty. Security has been

beefed up at all corps headquarters and military installations.

As per security advisory entry of people has been banned around military

installations and it has been made binding on all the serving officers,

jawans and employees to comply with the security advisory with respect to

their identification.

Directives have been issued to all corps headquarters to computerize the

system of identification of all the staff working in the offices and jawans

so that a system remains in place for immediate identification of militants

if they attack any other important building like GHQ in uniforms.

Security agencies would collect the data of all the persons living in

cantonments. Military leadership has also decided finally to gear up the

pace of shifting of GHQ to Islamabad.

The construction work on new GHQ was suspended and the army chief would soon

make announcement for re-starting construction