India-Pak tensions rise

Pakistan and India said yesterday they had shot down each other’s warplanes, in a dramatically escalating confrontation that has fuelled concerns of a catastrophic conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan called for talks between the neighbours, saying “better sense should prevail”. “Can we afford any miscalculation with the kind of weapons that we have and you have?” he asked.

Pakistan said it downed two Indian jets in its airspace and captured two pilots, while India confirmed the loss of one of its planes and said it had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet. In a sign of the deepening crisis, Pakistan closed its airspace “until further notice”. At least six airports were shuttered in India, and a vast area north of New Delhi was closed to civilian flights.

A Pakistani military spokesman said that one of the downed Indian planes had fallen in Pakistani-held Kashmir, while the other came down on the Indian side of the heavily militarised de facto border dividing the Himalayan territory. “We do not want escalation, we do not want to go towards war,” Major General Asif Ghafoor told a press conference. One of the captured pilots was in custody and the other was in hospital, he said.

‘Unfortunate loss’

Later, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Rajeesh Kumar announced that a Pakistan jet was hit as it took part in an operation “to target military installations on the Indian side”. “In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one Mig-21. The pilot is missing in action.

Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody.” Ministry of External Affairs, later, summoned the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan and lodged ‘strong protest’ at the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India including violation of the Indian air space by Pakistan Air Force and targeting of Indian military posts. “This is in contrast to India’s non-military anti-terror pre-emptive strike at JeM terrorist camp in Balakot.

‘Act of aggression’

India strongly objected to Pakistan’s vulgar display of injured personnel of the Indian Air Force terming it as the “violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention”. India also urged Pakistan to immediately facilitate his safe return.

A dossier was handed over to Pakistan side with specific details of JeM complicity in Pulwama terror attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan. India said, “It expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control.”