RAWALPINDI – Pakistan military spokesman on Thursday set the record straight about the events surrounding February 27 — the day Pakistan downed two Indian planes and captured an Indian pilot – following the so-called ‘surgical strikes’ by the neighbouring nation.
Addressing a media briefing, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar said that yesterday such a statement was given in which facts were attempted to be twisted surrounding the events that day.
DG ISPR Press Conference – 29 Oct 2020 https://t.co/ryuzXs20VQ
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) October 29, 2020
After the Pulwama incident, on February 26, India violated all international principles and attacked Pakistan, the military spox said.
“Our timely response derailed their efforts. Their planes and the explosives they had come to rain down on the Pakistani people, they instead dropped on empty mountains. They left in a panicked state after being confronted by our planes. “
Pakistani forces “decided to teach the enemy a lesson in response” to the attack and country’s entire civil and military leadership was united in the decision.
“Pakistan responded to India in broad daylight after announcing it. Not only did we give an appropriate reply, but also shot down two enemy war planes [and] Wing Commander Abhinandan [Varthaman] was captured.
“During these actions, the enemy became so frightened that it shot down its own helicopter and troops in a state of panic. […] This victory not only exposed India’s hollow claims of power before the world but made the entire Pakistani nation proud,” he said.
“They [India] not only faced defeat but humiliation all over the world.”
The ISPR chief said Pakistan’s victory was “not only acknowledged by the world” but the Indian leadership had attributed their forces’ failure to the absence of Rafale fighter jets.
Maj Gen Iftikhar said that Pakistan secured a “clear victory” that day.
“Being a responsible state, the Government of Pakistan in order to give peace another chance decided to release Indian prisoner of war Wing Commander Abhinandan,” he added, emphasising that this decision, which was in line with the Geneva Convention, was praised the world over.
“I make to make it clear once again for the sake of record that Pakistan first showed its capability and resolve and this decision was taken keeping in view all war options from a position of strength. Pakistan’s leadership and the armed forces were fully prepared to deal with any situation.
“We gave them a bloody nose and it is still hurting,” he said while referring to Pakistan’s response to India’s violation of its airspace.
The military spokesman also urged the nation to celebrate the victory with responsibility.
“Pakistan’s military is orgnanised institution and ‘Rank and fire can never be separated,” he said to a question on any division between the armed forces.
Opposition ‘misleading the nation’
The ISPR media briefing comes after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi dismissed PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq’s statement a day earlier regarding the circumstances in which Indian pilot Abhinandan was released, regretting that “responsible people are making irresponsible statements.”
Qureshi said he had not expected the former National Assembly speaker (Sadiq) to say that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was let go by Pakistan under pressure, adding that the comments made by him were “contrary to the truth”.
“Highly irresponsible statements are being issued for political gains; responsible people are talking irresponsibly, which is surprising,” the foreign minister said.
“These people are misleading the nation on the issues of Kulbhushan and Abhinandan,” said the foreign minister.
He added that the release of the captured Indian pilot was being made controversial without any reason and simply for political purposes.
Senior PML-N parliamentarians, on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday, had shared details of a meeting during which the release of Indian pilot Abhinandan had been agreed upon, alleging that the government took the decision under pressure.
“Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was present in the meeting, which Imran Khan had refused to attend,” former speaker Ayaz Sadiq said. He said it was Shah Mehmood Qureshi who had “begged the opposition to release Abhinandan, otherwise, India would attack Pakistan at 9:00pm”.
“India never attacked Pakistan, but the government nonetheless handed over Abhinandan to Indian authorities,” he said.
Ayaz Sadiq also said it was not the Opposition, but the PTI government which passed an ordinance to “facilitate” Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Operation Swift Retort & Abhinandan’s capture
In February 2019, Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG-21 plane was shot down by Pakistan Air Force in a rare aerial dogfight over the disputed Kashmir region.
After his capture, the Pakistani military had released video showing him sipping a cup of tea and politely refusing to answer questions.
He was released after a 60-hour detention period as a peace gesture from Pakistan aimed at defusing tensions.
