New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- Former Army chief Ved Malik on Sunday expressed reservations about India relying on telecom systems owned by foreign companies, citing the US sanctions imposed during the Kargil War and Washington's recent trade restrictions.

"With concern for national security, and my experience of defence sanctions imposed by USA during the Kargil war period and tariff and other restrictions imposed by US recently, I would not like to depend on any foreign-owned telecom system in India," Malik wrote on X.

Malik served as the Chief of Army Staff from October 1997 to September 2000 and led the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil War against Pakistan.

His tenure also coincided with sanctions imposed on India by the administration of...