Lt Gen Pratik Sharma is Northern Army Commander amid tension over Pahalgam attack
Amid border tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Army's Deputy Chief (Strategy), Lieutenant Gen Pratik Sharma, has been approved as the new commander-in-chief of the Udhampur-based Northern Army Command.The Northern Command looks after the entire gamut of operations against Pakistan and China in the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh sectors.With an illustrious career spanning across three decades, Lt Gen Sharma is an infantry officer who has served in varied operational environments. He was a part of key operations such as operations Pawan, Meghdoot, Rakshak and Parakram.advertisement
Even prior to his appointment, which was approved by the government on April 28, he had travelled with Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi to Srinagar after the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people on April 22.Lt Gen Sharma has held key appointments, including that of the Director General Military Operations, Military Secretary branch. He was also the Director General of Information Warfare at the newly institutionalised Information Directorate at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi.He is replacing Lt Gen MV Suchendra Kumar after his 15-month tenure in office.In February last year, the outgoing General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, Lt Gen MV Suchendra Kumar, took over from then Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, who is now the Army chief.Lt Gen Sharma's appointment came after a group of terrorists opened fire on tourists in the Baisaran Valley, about 6 kms from Pahalgam town, on April 22. Twenty-six people died and dozens others were injured in the carnage.India has launched a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari-Wagah border, halting all visas, including those issued under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals and asking them to depart India.Tune InMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#Pakistan#India-China#Jammu and Kashmir
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