Noor Mandviwalla, LLB Hons
The Trigger: Attack on Pulwama
Tensions between India and Pakistan have reached a highpoint in February, with the trigger being the attack on a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel by a suicide bomber at Lethpora in the Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. This resulted in deaths of at least 42 of the Indian Central Reserve Police Force of the 76th Battalion and injured many others. A militant group based in Pakistan, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), has taken responsibility for the attack. The Pakistani government has denied any involvement in the attack and has condemned the actions of these militants.
In response to the Pulwama incident, the diplomatic row between both countries continues to deepen as Narendra Modi stated that India would give a “fitting, jaw-breaking response to this attack”. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that he was disappointed to see India’s “knee-jerk” reaction as they made an allegation without evidence against Pakistan.
The danger of all-out conflict, however, only arose on 26 February, when Indian fighter jets crossed the ‘Line of Control’ into the Muzaffarabad sector at 3:30 am. According to the Indian foreign ministry in New Delhi, this was a “non-military pre-emptive action” on what was believed to be the JeM training base. The facts on what exactly has occurred in this instance are extremely unclear, with both countries issuing differing information about the scenario. To decipher the complex web of facts, the facts displayed by either side’s media will be recounted separately.
India’s Perspective
Viyal Gokhale, the Indian Foreign Secretary stated that the jets sent in during the early hours on 26 February had, in fact, hit their target and that “a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis…were eliminated”. New Delhi now lodges a strong protest on what it calls an “unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan” in its response to sending jets to infiltrate India’s airspace a day after the Indian fighter jets carried out the alleged strike at the JeM camp.
According to Delhi-based Asian News International (ANI), the Pakistan Air Force sent an F-16 jet to infiltrate India’s airspace but was subsequently shot down by Indian retaliatory fire at about 3 kilometres within Pakistan territory in Lam Valley, Nowshera sector. Earlier, the Indian government had said its pilot, Commander Abhinandan, was “missing in action” after shooting down the aircraft. In various videos circulated, the pilot was seen being interrogated, blindfolded and wounded, his arms tied behind his back. In light of allegations against Pakistan violating the Geneva Convention for the protection of prisoners, the videos were removed and another video resurfaced of the same soldiers claiming that the “officers of the Pakistan Army have treated me well”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met with the chiefs of the three Indian Armed Forces at his residence, the content of this meeting is yet to be disclosed. The most recent announcement by the Indian government is that it expects an “immediate and safe return” of its pilot.
Pakistan’s Perspective
Pakistan’s Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Major General Asif Ghafoor, states that the Indian jets were “scrambling to respond, forcing them to release their payload in haste while escaping”.
He went on to state that Pakistan does not want to “escalate, and [instead] follow a path which leads to peace”.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) claims to have shot down two Indian aircrafts that infiltrated Pakistani airspace on Wednesday, one of which fell within Pakistan’s territory. The pilot operating this jet was then taken into the custody of the Pakistan army. The DG ISPR refuted Indian media reports which stated that a Pakistani F-16 jet was shot down in conflict, he stated that “Pakistan did not use an F-16 in any activity today”. He went on to state that Pakistan does not want to “escalate, and [instead] follow a path which leads to peace”. Speaking on Pakistan’s response, the Foreign Office stated that they have “no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm”.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, in addressing the nation in wake of PAF shooting down the Indian aircrafts stated that Pakistan was ready to cooperate with India in any kind of investigation following the Pulwama attack. He empathised with the families of the attack as well and asked for India to share actionable evidence with the Pakistani government in their claims of Pakistan being behind the attack.
Concluding Points
Flight services and airports were temporarily suspended on both sides of the border on Wednesday, in view of the escalating border tensions. Operations in airports including Srinagar, Jammu and Leh were suspended, as well as airports in Lahore, Sialkot and Karachi. As the day came to a close, flight operation on both sides are beginning to be partially restored, however it remains unclear as to when operations will return back to normal.
It is doubted that domestically, being tough on Pakistan helps Modi’s political standing in view of the next general election dates to be announced within only a few weeks. With regards to whether tensions will escalate or thaw, it is worth noting that both countries possess nuclear arms, therefore it is in the best interests of both countries to engage in peaceful dialogue and achieve an agreement.
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons