Air strike a must to fix Pak: Tipnis

Air Chief Marshal (Retd) A.Y. Tipnis has a solution to the Indo-Pak problem: a surgical military action powered by the IAF. ‘‘Unless it is forcibly stopped, Pakistan will continue to dislodge the security of our territory,’’ the former Chief of Air Staff said. ‘‘For Pakistan to take us seriously, it needs a surgical military action, and an air onslaught will go a long way.’’

Speaking on Day 3 of the Defence Week being celebrated by The Indian Express, he minced no words in underlining the importance of military action. ‘‘We have to demonstrate to Pakistan that J-K is not only in our blood but it is our blood. We intend to keep what continues to be with us, but insist on having back PoK, by force if necessary.’’

Tipnis rubbished Pakistan’s threat of a nuclear response. ‘‘ A nuclear capability pitted against another can act as a deterrence only for nuclear warfare, not against conventional warfare…’’ The nuclear war is a war of words, he said, and should not stop India from limited military strike.

Air power being swifter and more precise will fit the overall military strategy against Pakistan. ‘‘I do believe aerial assaults can chisel out many chinks in Pakistan’s defences in PoK. We have to gnaw away to push back the LoC further into PoK,’’ he said.