One surgical strike won't change Pakistan: Lt Gen Hooda

Indian Army's former Northern Command Chief D.S. Hooda, who directed the 2016 cross-LoC surgical strikes, on Sunday said one surgical strike or air strike won't make Pakistan change its behaviour.

At a panel discussion "Beyond politics: Debating a new security manifesto", he said dealing with Pakistan requires long-term, dialogue-based planning and also engagement on nuclear issues.

"One surgical or air strike will not force Pakistan to change its behaviour. Dealing with Pakistan requires a long-term strategic policy," he said.

Hooda also presented the salient features of his report 'India's National Security Strategy', which he submitted to Congress President Rahul Gandhi last month.

The report outlines ways to maintain India's relations with its neighbouring countries, as well as measures to resolve internal conflicts of the country.

For Jammu and Kashmir, he suggested to tackling both the transnational and internal dimension. He also asked for an empathetic approach towards the population, with a clearly defined political objective and well-crafted information campaign. IANS