ISLAMABAD: Two Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft were shot down
on Wednesday by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Indian targets
across the Line of Control (LoC) were struck by Pakistani fighter jets
from within friendly airspace as the country’s armed forces struck back
after unprovoked Indian aggression a day earlier.
The military spokesperson said the Indian
aircraft crossed the LoC, the PAF retaliated and two Indian aircraft were shot
down in Pakistani airspace.
The military spokesperson confirmed that
there was only one pilot under Pakistan Army’s custody, who is being treated as
per norms of military ethics. He had earlier hinted at capturing two
IAF pilots.
The wreckage of one of the IAF jets fell
within Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) while the second fell in occupied
Kashmir.
‘No
intention of escalation’
The Foreign Office (FO) said the sole
purpose of the airstrikes on Indian military targets in occupied Kashmir
was to demonstrate the country’s right, will and capability of
self-defence.
“Sole purpose being to demonstrate our
right, will and capability for self-defence.We have no intention of escalation,
but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm.”
The FO statement added it was why Pakistan
“undertook the action with clear warning and in broad daylight”.
“For the last few years, India has been
trying to establish what they call ‘a new normal’ a thinly veiled term for
doing acts of aggression at whateer pretext they wish on a given day. If India
is striking at so called terrorist backers without a shred of evidence, we
also retain reciprocal rights to retaliate against elements that enjoy
Indian patronage while carrying out acts of terror in Pakistan.”
“We do not wish to go to that route and wish
that India gives peace a chance and to resolve issues like a mature
democratic nation,” it asserted.
The development comes a day after Pakistan’s
civil and military leadership declared the violation of airspace by Indian
fighter jets “uncalled for aggression” and decided that the country would
respond at the “time and place of its choosing”.
“Once again Indian government has resorted
to a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim. This action has been done for
domestic consumption being in election environment, putting regional peace and
stability at grave risk,” an official statement issued by the Prime Minister
office said.
“The claimed area of strike is open for the
world to see the facts on ground. For this domestic and international
media is being taken to the impact site,” it added.
The premier also called a meeting of the
National Command Authority and a Parliament session on Wednesday.
It was Director General Inter-Services
Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor, who first broke the
news of airspace violation by Indian jets along the Line of Control (LoC).
His early morning tweet said Pakistan
scrambled its fighter jets to challenge the Indian incursion. In haste,
according to the chief military spokesperson, Indian warplanes released their
payloads that had free fall in an open area.
Few hours later, the Indian foreign
secretary addressed a news conference in New Delhi in which he claimed that
Indian fighter jets carried out ‘preemptive strikes’ targeting the alleged
terrorist camps of banned Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militant group.
Pakistan did confirm the Indian incursion
but strongly rebutted the claim that any terrorist camp was hit on its side of
the LoC.
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