[Agencies reported last month, and it's still not been denied, that in addition to parts of Arunachal and Ladakh, the Chinese troops are also stationed in a part of India's state of Jammu & Kashmir still under Pakistan's illegal occupation. This is disturbing, to say the least.]

The Indian security establishment is becoming increasingly concerned about the presence of around 4,000 Chinese construction personnel, including combat engineers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"There are certain construction working teams (in PoK)...Around 3,000 to 4,000 of these people (Chinese) are present, including some for security purposes," said Army Chief General V K Singh.

Responding to questions on the sidelines of a function, Gen Singh said the Chinese teams in PoK included PLA combat engineers.

This comes shortly after Defense Minister A K Antony told Parliament not long ago that India has asked China to stop its infrastructure development activities in PoK. "We have conveyed our concerns to China and asked them to cease such activities," he said.

Even Northern Army Commander Lt-Gen K T Parnaik has warned that India not only faces a threat from Chinese troops along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control with China but it could well extend to the 778-km volatile LoC with Pakistan due to the expansive Beijing-Islamabad military nexus.

"The Chinese presence in Gilgit-Baltistan and the Northern Areas is increasing steadily. China is involved in construction and up gradation of numerous roads, bridges and hydropower projects. "Chinese links with Pakistan, through PoK, lend strength to the China-Pakistan nexus, which has been of great security concern for us," said Lt-Gen Parnaik.

Asked about the security situation in J&K, the Army Chief said the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK, with over 42 terror training camps, was very much alive and kicking. "It's intact. A concentration of large number of terrorists on the other side exists and they are trying to infiltrate. We are making sure that their efforts fail," said Gen Singh. Just in the last fortnight, for instance, the Army has killed over 10 terrorists in different encounters.

The Army Chief was responding to a query on the presence of Chinese army troops in the PoK on the sidelines of the 16th Field Marshal KM Cariappa Memorial Lecture delivered by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon.

The statement comes against the backdrop of concerns in India about the presence and engagement of Chinese troops in PoK, which India considers as its own land, a part of Jammu & Kashmir state.

IAF Chief NAK Browne had made this clear when he said in an interview that increasing presence of China in PoK warrants India's "attention."

New Delhi has already conveyed its concerns to China over the presence of its troops in PoK and its activities in that region.
Last year, there were reports of presence of about 11,000 Chinese troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan region held by Pakistan but Beijing said there was no wrong-doing.