The Indian Air Force on Friday trolled Pakistan with a poem suggesting that its Mirage 2000 fighter jets had to cross over into Pakistan as Islamabad had crossed its limits by attacking CRPF personnel in Pulwama.

The Indian Air Force through its Twitter handle @iaf_mcc tweeted a Hindi poem by a poet named Bipin Illahabadi titled ‘Hadd Sarhad Ki, (limits of the border) this morning which suggests the reasons for the Air Force to have crossed the border and attack the Jaish terrorist camp in mainland Pakistan.

The poem in Hindi, in the beginning, says that a fighter whose name is 'Mrigmarichika'&nbsp;(Mirage) had to cross over the boundaries as someone had crossed all the limits.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
हद सरहद की 
 
आज किसी ने सरहदें पार की, 
क्योंकि किसी ने सारी हदें पार की। 
उस लड़ाकू में, जिसका अर्थ मृगमरीचिका है, 
एक हक़ीक़त, गयी रात हमने बयाँ की। 
आज किसी ने सरहदें पार की... 
 
. .. विपिन 'इलाहाबादी', २७ फरवरी २०१९ <a href="https://t.co/9nymkFLzhk">pic.twitter.com/9nymkFLzhk</a>
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1103849356367679488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The poet has hinted about the cross-border strike by the Air Force on the night of February 26 in which 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets crossed over the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

About the late night air strike, the poet also suggests that the enemy would be extra cautious in the nights as they would be living in fear of “fireworks” at that time.

The poem says that we have crossed the boundaries this time and touched the adversary in a unique way to warn him to mend his ways.

The poem also goes on to say that the adversary has been given a dose of truth and he cannot lie now.

The Air Force has come up with the Hindi poetry to troll the Pakistanis at a time when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan started tweeting in Hindi on the ongoing conflict with India.&nbsp;

The Indian Air Force on Friday trolled Pakistan with a poem suggesting that its Mirage 2000 fighter jets had to cross over into Pakistan as Islamabad had crossed its limits by attacking CRPF personnel in Pulwama.

The Indian Air Force on Friday trolled Pakistan with a poem suggesting that its Mirage 2000 fighter jets had to cross over into Pakistan as Islamabad had crossed its limits by attacking CRPF personnel in Pulwama. The Indian Air Force through its Twitter handle @iaf_mcc tweeted a Hindi poem by a poet named Bipin Illahabadi titled ‘Hadd Sarhad Ki, (limits of the border) this morning which suggests the reasons for the Air Force to have crossed the border and attack the Jaish terrorist camp in mainland Pakistan. The poem in Hindi, in the beginning, says that a fighter whose name is 'Mrigmarichika' (Mirage) had to cross over the boundaries as someone had crossed all the limits. हद सरहद की आज किसी ने सरहदें पार की, क्योंकि किसी ने सारी हदें पार की। उस लड़ाकू में, जिसका अर्थ मृगमरीचिका है, एक हक़ीक़त, गयी रात हमने बयाँ की। आज किसी ने सरहदें पार की... . .. विपिन 'इलाहाबादी', २७ फरवरी २०१९ pic.twitter.com/9nymkFLzhk — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 8, 2019 × The poet has hinted about the cross-border strike by the Air Force on the night of February 26 in which 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets crossed over the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. About the late night air strike, the poet also suggests that the enemy would be extra cautious in the nights as they would be living in fear of “fireworks” at that time. The poem says that we have crossed the boundaries this time and touched the adversary in a unique way to warn him to mend his ways. The poem also goes on to say that the adversary has been given a dose of truth and he cannot lie now. The Air Force has come up with the Hindi poetry to troll the Pakistanis at a time when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan started tweeting in Hindi on the ongoing conflict with India.

Indian Air Force tweets poem on cross border air strike, trolls Pakistan

Breaking News: Pakistan allows UN team to visit Balakot

The&nbsp;Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday stepped-up its attack on the opposition and asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to clarify on the meeting he had with the G20 envoys on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Speaking with the media in Delhi today, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked if Gandhi presented India's stand to the envoys or the opposition's.

"Rahul Gandhi yesterday met ambassadors of G20 countries, what did he disclose to them about Pulwama attack and the AirStrikes? Did he convey to them the view of the country, Govt or Congress' view? Every day they're questioning air strikes, he needs to explain it to the country," Prasad told reporters.&nbsp;

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh shared the party's economic and political vision with ambassadors of G20 member-countries at a meeting on Wednesday, during which the Pulwama attack and the subsequent developments were also discussed, news agency PTI reported.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
RS Prasad: Rahul Gandhi y'day met ambassadors of G20 countries, what did he disclose to them about Pulwama attack &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirStrikes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AirStrikes</a>? Did he convey to them the view of the country, Govt or Congress' view. everyday they're questioning air strikes, he needs to explain it to the country. <a href="https://t.co/n7uPpjMXfd">pic.twitter.com/n7uPpjMXfd</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1103614873517285376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Pakistan High Commissioner was not invited to the meet which was attended by the ambassadors of the United States and China, the UK High Commissioner among others.

Sources said the Pulwama attack and the consequent air strikes were also learnt to have been discussed during the meeting, as the diplomats were curious about how the developments will play out in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. They also sought to know its effect on the stability of the region, PTI reported.

The meet, held at a local hotel, was earlier slated for February 15 and had been cancelled in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack on February 14. 
Rahul Gandhi later tweeted out saying he enjoyed the exchange of ideas and looked forward to continuing the dialogue with the envoys.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday stepped-up its attack on the opposition and asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to clarify on the meeting he had with the G20 envoys on Wednesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday stepped-up its attack on the opposition and asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to clarify on the meeting he had with the G20 envoys on Wednesday. Speaking with the media in Delhi today, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked if Gandhi presented India's stand to the envoys or the opposition's. "Rahul Gandhi yesterday met ambassadors of G20 countries, what did he disclose to them about Pulwama attack and the AirStrikes? Did he convey to them the view of the country, Govt or Congress' view? Every day they're questioning air strikes, he needs to explain it to the country," Prasad told reporters. Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh shared the party's economic and political vision with ambassadors of G20 member-countries at a meeting on Wednesday, during which the Pulwama attack and the subsequent developments were also discussed, news agency PTI reported. RS Prasad: Rahul Gandhi y'day met ambassadors of G20 countries, what did he disclose to them about Pulwama attack & #AirStrikes? Did he convey to them the view of the country, Govt or Congress' view. everyday they're questioning air strikes, he needs to explain it to the country. pic.twitter.com/n7uPpjMXfd — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2019 × The Pakistan High Commissioner was not invited to the meet which was attended by the ambassadors of the United States and China, the UK High Commissioner among others. Sources said the Pulwama attack and the consequent air strikes were also learnt to have been discussed during the meeting, as the diplomats were curious about how the developments will play out in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. They also sought to know its effect on the stability of the region, PTI reported. The meet, held at a local hotel, was earlier slated for February 15 and had been cancelled in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack on February 14. Rahul Gandhi later tweeted out saying he enjoyed the exchange of ideas and looked forward to continuing the dialogue with the envoys. (With inputs from PTI)

'What did he disclose on Pulwama, Balakot strikes?' BJP asks Rahul to clarify on meeting with G20 envoys

When India is fighting a war against terror and has even conducted an airstrike and bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) terrorist training facility at Balakot in Pakistan, the leaders of Congress and other opposition parties are busy targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP by casting aspersions and ascribing motives to the direct offensive launched by India to uproot and destroy the terror factories in Pakistan.

After the Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Modi was quick in announcing that the Indian Armed Forces have been given full powers to handle the situation and counter cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

After the February 26 airstrike that targeted the terror infrastructure at Balakot, Pakistan Air force F-16 jets entered the Indian territory to target military installations. They were intercepted and chased away by Indian Air Force pilots. The Pakistani offensive resulted in the downing of an F-16 aircraft. India's brave fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, whose aircraft was also hit, was captured when he ejected and landed inside the Pakistani territory. Under immense diplomatic pressure mounted by India and also the threat of direct action in case Pakistan chose to remain defiant, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in his Parliament that Abhinandan would be released.

“The Indian Air Defence system was on full alert in the morning of 27 February - a day after the Balakot airstrike. Build up of Pakistan Air Force aircraft on their side of LoC was noticed in time and additional aircraft were scrambled to tackle Pak incursion. When there was an attempt to attack Indian military installations, PAF aircraft were engaged and forced to withdraw by Mirage-2000, Su-30 and MiG-21 Bison aircraft from the Indian side. They left in a hurry as demonstrated by large missed distances of the weapons dropped by them. &nbsp;During combat, use of F-16 by PAF and multiple launches of AMRAAM (American beyond visual range air-to-air missile) were conclusively observed. Prompt and correct tactical action by Su-30 aircraft, in response to AMRAAM launch, defeated the missile. Parts of the missile fell in area East of Rajouri in J&amp;K, injuring a civilian on ground.” With this statement on Tuesday, the Indian Ministry of Defence has blasted the false claim by Pakistan of shooting down an Su-30, which was obviously a cover up for loss of its own aircraft.

In the meanwhile, even as Pakistan imposed a ban on Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafeez Saeed led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) on Tuesday, there has been no let up and Pakistan has continued to violate the ceasefire along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and there have been civilian casualties too.

When troops on both sides are in a state of combat readiness and it is time for the nation to remain united to face the enemy, the Congress party and other opposition parties are working overtime and throwing posers about the outcome of the February 26 airstrike. They all are asking the same question in tandem and the people at large are viewing this as an attempt by the opposition to politicise the situation keeping in view the upcoming general election. What is also alarming is that the opposition leaders are even pointing their fingers questioning the “timing of the post-Pulwama offensive (ahead of the Lok Sabha polls).

Gloating over the situation prevailing in India are those at the helm of affairs in Pakistan. That country’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in an interview, has talked of differences among the political parties in India with regard to the numbers of terrorists killed in the airstrike. In a video that’s gone viral, Qureshi is heard saying, "The Congress party is questioning the claim that terror camps have been destroyed and a large number of terrorists have been killed."

On the current situation, the nation is also witnessing a war of words on social media between the BJP and opposition leaders. What is particularly capturing headlines are a couple of tweets by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. After citing a certain news-report and asking “what is the truth behind the bombing of Balakot”, Singh said in another tweet:&nbsp;

After the Air Strike conducted by our Air Force in the wake of the Pulwama attack, doubt is being expressed in a section of foreign media and as a consequence of this, the credibility of the government of India is being questioned. 
 
The remarks by opposition leaders are being seen as an attempt by the opposition leaders to dilute the gravity of the Pulwama attack and undermine India’s war against terror. The direct beneficiary of this is Pakistan.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

When India is fighting a war against terror and has even conducted an airstrike and bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) terrorist training facility at Balakot in Pakistan, the leaders of Congress and other opposition parties are busy targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP by casting aspersions and ascribing motives to the direct offensive launched by India to uproot and destroy the terror factories in Pakistan.

When India is fighting a war against terror and has even conducted an airstrike and bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) terrorist training facility at Balakot in Pakistan, the leaders of Congress and other opposition parties are busy targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP by casting aspersions and ascribing motives to the direct offensive launched by India to uproot and destroy the terror factories in Pakistan. After the Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Modi was quick in announcing that the Indian Armed Forces have been given full powers to handle the situation and counter cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. After the February 26 airstrike that targeted the terror infrastructure at Balakot, Pakistan Air force F-16 jets entered the Indian territory to target military installations. They were intercepted and chased away by Indian Air Force pilots. The Pakistani offensive resulted in the downing of an F-16 aircraft. India's brave fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, whose aircraft was also hit, was captured when he ejected and landed inside the Pakistani territory. Under immense diplomatic pressure mounted by India and also the threat of direct action in case Pakistan chose to remain defiant, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in his Parliament that Abhinandan would be released. “The Indian Air Defence system was on full alert in the morning of 27 February - a day after the Balakot airstrike. Build up of Pakistan Air Force aircraft on their side of LoC was noticed in time and additional aircraft were scrambled to tackle Pak incursion. When there was an attempt to attack Indian military installations, PAF aircraft were engaged and forced to withdraw by Mirage-2000, Su-30 and MiG-21 Bison aircraft from the Indian side. They left in a hurry as demonstrated by large missed distances of the weapons dropped by them. During combat, use of F-16 by PAF and multiple launches of AMRAAM (American beyond visual range air-to-air missile) were conclusively observed. Prompt and correct tactical action by Su-30 aircraft, in response to AMRAAM launch, defeated the missile. Parts of the missile fell in area East of Rajouri in J&K, injuring a civilian on ground.” With this statement on Tuesday, the Indian Ministry of Defence has blasted the false claim by Pakistan of shooting down an Su-30, which was obviously a cover up for loss of its own aircraft. In the meanwhile, even as Pakistan imposed a ban on Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafeez Saeed led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) on Tuesday, there has been no let up and Pakistan has continued to violate the ceasefire along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and there have been civilian casualties too. When troops on both sides are in a state of combat readiness and it is time for the nation to remain united to face the enemy, the Congress party and other opposition parties are working overtime and throwing posers about the outcome of the February 26 airstrike. They all are asking the same question in tandem and the people at large are viewing this as an attempt by the opposition to politicise the situation keeping in view the upcoming general election. What is also alarming is that the opposition leaders are even pointing their fingers questioning the “timing of the post-Pulwama offensive (ahead of the Lok Sabha polls). Gloating over the situation prevailing in India are those at the helm of affairs in Pakistan. That country’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in an interview, has talked of differences among the political parties in India with regard to the numbers of terrorists killed in the airstrike. In a video that’s gone viral, Qureshi is heard saying, "The Congress party is questioning the claim that terror camps have been destroyed and a large number of terrorists have been killed." On the current situation, the nation is also witnessing a war of words on social media between the BJP and opposition leaders. What is particularly capturing headlines are a couple of tweets by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. After citing a certain news-report and asking “what is the truth behind the bombing of Balakot”, Singh said in another tweet: After the Air Strike conducted by our Air Force in the wake of the Pulwama attack, doubt is being expressed in a section of foreign media and as a consequence of this, the credibility of the government of India is being questioned. The remarks by opposition leaders are being seen as an attempt by the opposition leaders to dilute the gravity of the Pulwama attack and undermine India’s war against terror. The direct beneficiary of this is Pakistan. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By politicising Balakot airstrike, opposition leaders have given Pakistan a big reason to cheer

French envoy to India, Alexandre Ziegler, reacted to Indian airstrikes on JeM camp in Balakot and stated that "there should be no tolerance of terror". Ziegler reiterated France's resolution to push for JeM chief Masood Azhar's listing as a global terrorist at UNSC.&nbsp;

"We recognise the legitimacy of India to assure its security against cross-border terror. We also welcomed the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan. The easing of tension was also a relief," news agency ANI quoted Ziegler as saying.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Alexandre Ziegler, French Envoy to India: We believe there should be no tolerance of terror. So yes we will push for designation of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MasoodAzhar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MasoodAzhar</a> as global terrorist, at UNSC, have been pushing for it for past 2 years as well. Not designating him doesn't make sense <a href="https://t.co/Sa6jA9nz1Q">pic.twitter.com/Sa6jA9nz1Q</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1103337304901513222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"We believe there should be no tolerance of terror. So yes, we will push for designation of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, at UNSC, have been pushing for it for past 2 years as well. Not designating him doesn't make sense," the envoy added.&nbsp;

France, which assumed the March Presidency of the United Nations Security Council, has reiterated its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/france-reiterates-support-for-indias-permanent-seat-in-reformed-un-security-council-201043">support for India as the permanent member</a> of the powerful UN organ, saying the UNSC’s enlargement is the “first crucial part” towards its reform.

India has been calling for the reform of the UN Security Council along with Brazil, Germany and Japan for long, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Alexandre Ziegler, French Envoy to India on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirStrike?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AirStrike</a>: Ofcourse we recognize legitimacy of India to assure its security against cross border terror.We also welcomed the release of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WingCommanderAbhinandan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WingCommanderAbhinandan</a>. Easing of tension was also a relief. <a href="https://t.co/tJSagIuo5G">pic.twitter.com/tJSagIuo5G</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1103339022921973760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

France, a veto-wielding permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council, last month moved a fresh proposal in the UNSC along with the US and the UK to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

“We want enlargement of the Security Council in the two categories of non-permanent and permanent categories – India, Brazil, Germany and Japan – and equitable representation of Africans and so that is the first crucial part of it,” French Permanent Representative to the UN François Delattre told reporters last Friday.

French envoy to India, Alexandre Ziegler, reacted to Indian airstrikes on JeM camp in Balakot and stated that "there should be no tolerance of terror". Ziegler reiterated France's resolution to push for JeM chief Masood Azhar's listing as a global terrorist at UNSC.

French envoy to India, Alexandre Ziegler, reacted to Indian airstrikes on JeM camp in Balakot and stated that "there should be no tolerance of terror". Ziegler reiterated France's resolution to push for JeM chief Masood Azhar's listing as a global terrorist at UNSC. "We recognise the legitimacy of India to assure its security against cross-border terror. We also welcomed the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan. The easing of tension was also a relief," news agency ANI quoted Ziegler as saying. Alexandre Ziegler, French Envoy to India: We believe there should be no tolerance of terror. So yes we will push for designation of #MasoodAzhar as global terrorist, at UNSC, have been pushing for it for past 2 years as well. Not designating him doesn't make sense pic.twitter.com/Sa6jA9nz1Q — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2019 × "We believe there should be no tolerance of terror. So yes, we will push for designation of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, at UNSC, have been pushing for it for past 2 years as well. Not designating him doesn't make sense," the envoy added. France, which assumed the March Presidency of the United Nations Security Council, has reiterated its support for India as the permanent member of the powerful UN organ, saying the UNSC’s enlargement is the “first crucial part” towards its reform. India has been calling for the reform of the UN Security Council along with Brazil, Germany and Japan for long, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member. Alexandre Ziegler, French Envoy to India on #AirStrike: Ofcourse we recognize legitimacy of India to assure its security against cross border terror.We also welcomed the release of #WingCommanderAbhinandan. Easing of tension was also a relief. pic.twitter.com/tJSagIuo5G — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2019 × France, a veto-wielding permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council, last month moved a fresh proposal in the UNSC along with the US and the UK to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, news agency PTI reported. “We want enlargement of the Security Council in the two categories of non-permanent and permanent categories – India, Brazil, Germany and Japan – and equitable representation of Africans and so that is the first crucial part of it,” French Permanent Representative to the UN François Delattre told reporters last Friday.

We recognise India's legitimacy to ensure security against cross-border terror: French envoy  

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/iaf-pilots-werent-supposed-to-land-and-count-number-of-terrorists-killed-in-balakot-rajnath-singh-201634">Indian Air Force</a> has given the government radar and satellite images showing bombing of the "intended targets" at the JeM terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot and "causing significant damage" to it, sources in the security establishment said on Wednesday.

The source-based information about the "evidence" comes against the backdrop of a report by a foreign news agency claiming that satellite images of the Jaish-e-Mohammed madrasa in Balakot showed the facility is still intact and buildings standing.

The government was given on Sunday all the "evidence" of the February 26 strike on the JeM camp, including radar and satellite imagery, which showed that the S-2000 laser-guided munition hit the intended targets causing significant "internal damage", sources said.

S-2000 smart bombs penetrate the targets and cause a blast inside, as per sources.&nbsp;

They also said that the IAF has collected from independent sources satellite imagery of the site of the JeM camp after the strike to assess the impact of the operation, and these images have also been handed over to the government.

The news report, which drew a comparison between an April 2018 image of the camp with that of an image taken on March 4, 2019, to show it is practically unchanged, also comes amid raging debate over the number of human casualties in the Balakot air strikes.&nbsp;

Briefing reporters last week, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had said "a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated", while the government sources said 350 terrorists were killed.&nbsp;

Later, BJP president Amit Shah put the toll at 250.&nbsp;

Amidst media reports suggesting minimal damage during these air strikes, opposition parties have been clamouring for clarity.

On Monday, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said it is for the government to provide death toll of terrorists, and the IAF only sees if a target has been hit or not.

On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said around 400 terrorists were killed in the air strikes. When asked about the number of terrorists eliminated, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not give any figure.

The Indian Air Force has given the government radar and satellite images showing bombing of the "intended targets" at the JeM terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot and "causing significant damage" to it, sources in the security establishment said on Wednesday.

The Indian Air Force has given the government radar and satellite images showing bombing of the "intended targets" at the JeM terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot and "causing significant damage" to it, sources in the security establishment said on Wednesday. The source-based information about the "evidence" comes against the backdrop of a report by a foreign news agency claiming that satellite images of the Jaish-e-Mohammed madrasa in Balakot showed the facility is still intact and buildings standing. The government was given on Sunday all the "evidence" of the February 26 strike on the JeM camp, including radar and satellite imagery, which showed that the S-2000 laser-guided munition hit the intended targets causing significant "internal damage", sources said. S-2000 smart bombs penetrate the targets and cause a blast inside, as per sources. They also said that the IAF has collected from independent sources satellite imagery of the site of the JeM camp after the strike to assess the impact of the operation, and these images have also been handed over to the government. The news report, which drew a comparison between an April 2018 image of the camp with that of an image taken on March 4, 2019, to show it is practically unchanged, also comes amid raging debate over the number of human casualties in the Balakot air strikes. Briefing reporters last week, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had said "a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated", while the government sources said 350 terrorists were killed. Later, BJP president Amit Shah put the toll at 250. Amidst media reports suggesting minimal damage during these air strikes, opposition parties have been clamouring for clarity. On Monday, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said it is for the government to provide death toll of terrorists, and the IAF only sees if a target has been hit or not. On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said around 400 terrorists were killed in the air strikes. When asked about the number of terrorists eliminated, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not give any figure.

Radar, satellite images of IAF strike on Pakistan's Balakot show 'significant damage': Sources

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday lauded the Indian Air Force's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan and slammed the opposition for raising questions over the operation.&nbsp;

Singh asked if the IAF pilots who carried out the strikes were supposed to land and count the number of terrorists killed in the operation.&nbsp;

"The way IAF hit the terror camps is absolutely remarkable. But there are a few people who are questioning it, I want to ask them, was it the duty of pilots to land and then count the numbers to know how many were killed after the operation — 1,2,3,4,5?" Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
HM Rajnath Singh: The way IAF hit the terror camps is absolutely remarkable. But there are a few people who are questioning it, I want to ask them, was it the duty of pilots to land and then count the numbers to know how many were killed after the operation- 1,2,3,4,5? <a href="https://t.co/hXR77u56Ha">pic.twitter.com/hXR77u56Ha</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1103327351184609280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Defence Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/balakot-air-strike-non-military-action-as-no-civilian-casualty-caused-nirmala-sitharaman-201327">Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday</a> the Indian Air Force strike that destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot area was "not a military action" as there was no civilian casualty.

She also said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had not given any casualty figure in his media briefing after the air strike and only gave a statement which is the government's "position".

Gokhale had said the non-military and preemptive strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp killed a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, news agency PTI reported.

Sitharaman's remarks came amid some Opposition leader demanding evidence about the number of terrorists killed in the air strike.

The IAF, which carried out the strike on February 26, said on Monday that government would provide details on the casualty figures as the Air Force only sees if a target has been hit or not, PTI reported.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the defence minister said, "There was no need to analyse more on Balakot strike" as she declined to link the air strike on terror camp with the coming Lok Sabha election.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday lauded the Indian Air Force's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan and slammed the opposition for raising questions over the operation.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday lauded the Indian Air Force's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan and slammed the opposition for raising questions over the operation. Singh asked if the IAF pilots who carried out the strikes were supposed to land and count the number of terrorists killed in the operation. "The way IAF hit the terror camps is absolutely remarkable. But there are a few people who are questioning it, I want to ask them, was it the duty of pilots to land and then count the numbers to know how many were killed after the operation — 1,2,3,4,5?" Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. HM Rajnath Singh: The way IAF hit the terror camps is absolutely remarkable. But there are a few people who are questioning it, I want to ask them, was it the duty of pilots to land and then count the numbers to know how many were killed after the operation- 1,2,3,4,5? pic.twitter.com/hXR77u56Ha — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2019 × Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday the Indian Air Force strike that destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot area was "not a military action" as there was no civilian casualty. She also said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had not given any casualty figure in his media briefing after the air strike and only gave a statement which is the government's "position". Gokhale had said the non-military and preemptive strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp killed a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, news agency PTI reported. Sitharaman's remarks came amid some Opposition leader demanding evidence about the number of terrorists killed in the air strike. The IAF, which carried out the strike on February 26, said on Monday that government would provide details on the casualty figures as the Air Force only sees if a target has been hit or not, PTI reported. On Tuesday, the defence minister said, "There was no need to analyse more on Balakot strike" as she declined to link the air strike on terror camp with the coming Lok Sabha election. (With inputs from PTI)

IAF pilots weren't supposed to land and count number of terrorists killed in Balakot: Rajnath Singh

Union minister V K Singh Wednesday said people want India to emulate Israel in targeting terrorists but it cannot happen because the opposition in that country, unlike India, does not question and "insult" their army when it carries out tasks like 'Operation Munich'.

In a sweeping Facebook post, he attacked government critics, including opposition members, students leaders, activists and media, and called for a "surgical strike" within India, claiming if it does not happen, then the "robbers are ready to loot".

The former Army chief called student leaders accused of involvement in "anti-India" protests as "jonk" (leeches) and took aim at the media for referring to terrorists as "militants", claiming such things do not happen in Israel.

It is high time that the country followed Israel, he said.

He wrote the post amid a fierce slugfest between the government and opposition parties following the Balakot air strikes with the latter seeking proof that a high number of terrorists were killed, as claimed by ruling combine leaders including BJP president Amit Shah.

The BJP has, in turn, accused its rivals of lowering the morale of armed forces and speaking the language of Pakistan.

In a tweet, Singh also used a mosquito metaphor to refer to the debate on casualty figures of terrorists, asking if he was expected to sit and count how many he killed at night or "sleep in comfort".

"There were a lot of mosquitoes at 3:30 am at night. So, I used Hit (mosquito repellent) on them. Now, should I sit and count how many mosquitoes I killed or sleep in comfort," Singh tweeted.

The Union minister headliend his Facebook post as "Why India does not become Isreal?".

People want revenge and expect that Modi would enter Pakistan in a tank and finish off all Pakistanis, he said.

"We want to be in Israel mode overnight. No, it won't happen. If Modi is there, I have expectation and faith that revenge will be taken. It will be fierce and 100 times more intense. But India cannot be Israel and will not be Israel," he said in the post written in Hindi.

He counted multiple reasons why he thinks India cannot become Israel.&nbsp;

Because there is no JNU in Israel where youngsters can raise slogans in support of breaking the country, he said, in an apparent reference to the alleged anti-national protests in the university in February 2016.

Because no courts are opened for terrorists at 2 am in the night and nor does journalists there "cry" for human rights of terrorists, he went on.

"Because when Israel carries out Operation Munich, the opposition there does not insult the country or armed forces by seeking proof," Singh said, in an apparent reference to the covert operation of Israel spy agency Mossad to eliminate those involved in the terror attack on the country's 1972 Munich

Olympics contingent in which several members were killed.

The country is supreme in Israel, not religion or caste, and no Jat, Gujjar or Maratha torch public property there, he added.

"There are no tapeworms (in Israel) like Shehla Rashid and Kanhaiya Kumar who study on taxpayers' money and call the Army rapists," he alleged.

Singh said time has come for India to be like Israel so that its elected representatives know that the nation will be united for protecting its integrity and sovereignty not only during the war but all the time, irrespective of any eventuality.

The opposition has been asking the government to reveal the official death count in the strike which was conducted days after the February 14 Pulwama attack in which over 40 CRPF personnel died.

While IAF chief B S Dhanoa said in a press conference that the force does not count bodies, BJP president Amit Shah claimed at a political rally that over 250 terrorists were killed.&nbsp;

Union minister V K Singh Wednesday said people want India to emulate Israel in targeting terrorists but it cannot happen because the opposition in that country, unlike India, does not question and "insult" their army when it carries out tasks like 'Operation Munich'.

Union minister V K Singh Wednesday said people want India to emulate Israel in targeting terrorists but it cannot happen because the opposition in that country, unlike India, does not question and "insult" their army when it carries out tasks like 'Operation Munich'. In a sweeping Facebook post, he attacked government critics, including opposition members, students leaders, activists and media, and called for a "surgical strike" within India, claiming if it does not happen, then the "robbers are ready to loot". The former Army chief called student leaders accused of involvement in "anti-India" protests as "jonk" (leeches) and took aim at the media for referring to terrorists as "militants", claiming such things do not happen in Israel. It is high time that the country followed Israel, he said. He wrote the post amid a fierce slugfest between the government and opposition parties following the Balakot air strikes with the latter seeking proof that a high number of terrorists were killed, as claimed by ruling combine leaders including BJP president Amit Shah. The BJP has, in turn, accused its rivals of lowering the morale of armed forces and speaking the language of Pakistan. In a tweet, Singh also used a mosquito metaphor to refer to the debate on casualty figures of terrorists, asking if he was expected to sit and count how many he killed at night or "sleep in comfort". "There were a lot of mosquitoes at 3:30 am at night. So, I used Hit (mosquito repellent) on them. Now, should I sit and count how many mosquitoes I killed or sleep in comfort," Singh tweeted. The Union minister headliend his Facebook post as "Why India does not become Isreal?". People want revenge and expect that Modi would enter Pakistan in a tank and finish off all Pakistanis, he said. "We want to be in Israel mode overnight. No, it won't happen. If Modi is there, I have expectation and faith that revenge will be taken. It will be fierce and 100 times more intense. But India cannot be Israel and will not be Israel," he said in the post written in Hindi. He counted multiple reasons why he thinks India cannot become Israel. Because there is no JNU in Israel where youngsters can raise slogans in support of breaking the country, he said, in an apparent reference to the alleged anti-national protests in the university in February 2016. Because no courts are opened for terrorists at 2 am in the night and nor does journalists there "cry" for human rights of terrorists, he went on. "Because when Israel carries out Operation Munich, the opposition there does not insult the country or armed forces by seeking proof," Singh said, in an apparent reference to the covert operation of Israel spy agency Mossad to eliminate those involved in the terror attack on the country's 1972 Munich Olympics contingent in which several members were killed. The country is supreme in Israel, not religion or caste, and no Jat, Gujjar or Maratha torch public property there, he added. "There are no tapeworms (in Israel) like Shehla Rashid and Kanhaiya Kumar who study on taxpayers' money and call the Army rapists," he alleged. Singh said time has come for India to be like Israel so that its elected representatives know that the nation will be united for protecting its integrity and sovereignty not only during the war but all the time, irrespective of any eventuality. The opposition has been asking the government to reveal the official death count in the strike which was conducted days after the February 14 Pulwama attack in which over 40 CRPF personnel died. While IAF chief B S Dhanoa said in a press conference that the force does not count bodies, BJP president Amit Shah claimed at a political rally that over 250 terrorists were killed.

Quit 'insulting' Army if you want India to tackle terror like Israelis: VK Singh attacks opposition

India has said that its operation on the terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Balakot is over but the next step will be to mount diplomatic pressure on an increasingly isolated Islamabad.

Sources told WION, "Our government's position is very clear, we have to make strategy on our own. We have to fight terror on our own. But we have to build pressure on Pakistan to see that focus remains on Pakistan as a state which supports, sponsors and nurtures terrorism"

"If there is subsequent terror attack all options are available for us,'' sources added.

India also made it clear that no negotiations were done for the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan who was captured by Pakistan after it launched strikes on Indian military installation last week.

Sources said, "We made it very clear to all the ambassadors of the P5 countries, that this was non-negotiable matter, we were not asking for consular access, and we expected him back immediately and we believe this was conveyed and Pakistani side very clearly understood."&nbsp;

Sources added, "Pressure was built not only by P5 but by others also, and this was instrumental (in the release) and it should not be attributed to Imran Khan's generous Pathan heart."

On the death of Masood Azhar, chief of JeM, sources dismissed it saying we take such news with a pinch of salt.

India hopes to list Masood Azhar as an international terrorist under the 1267 committee of the United Nations Security Council which it believes will send a message that Pakistan is the epicentre of terror in the world.

The deadline for any country to hold technical bar against declaring Azhar as an international terrorist is on March 14, around 1:30 am.

India has said that its operation on the terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Balakot is over but the next step will be to mount diplomatic pressure on an increasingly isolated Islamabad.

India has said that its operation on the terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Balakot is over but the next step will be to mount diplomatic pressure on an increasingly isolated Islamabad. Sources told WION, "Our government's position is very clear, we have to make strategy on our own. We have to fight terror on our own. But we have to build pressure on Pakistan to see that focus remains on Pakistan as a state which supports, sponsors and nurtures terrorism" "If there is subsequent terror attack all options are available for us,'' sources added. India also made it clear that no negotiations were done for the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan who was captured by Pakistan after it launched strikes on Indian military installation last week. Sources said, "We made it very clear to all the ambassadors of the P5 countries, that this was non-negotiable matter, we were not asking for consular access, and we expected him back immediately and we believe this was conveyed and Pakistani side very clearly understood." Sources added, "Pressure was built not only by P5 but by others also, and this was instrumental (in the release) and it should not be attributed to Imran Khan's generous Pathan heart." On the death of Masood Azhar, chief of JeM, sources dismissed it saying we take such news with a pinch of salt. India hopes to list Masood Azhar as an international terrorist under the 1267 committee of the United Nations Security Council which it believes will send a message that Pakistan is the epicentre of terror in the world. The deadline for any country to hold technical bar against declaring Azhar as an international terrorist is on March 14, around 1:30 am.

Balakot operation over, next step is to mount diplomatic pressure on Pakistan: India

Defence Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/do-not-believe-in-people-who-spread-rumours-nirmala-sitharaman-to-ex-servicemen-201119">Nirmala Sitharaman</a> said Tuesday the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-options-available-if-there-is-another-terrorist-strike-official-sources-201309">Indian Air Force strike</a> that destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot area was "not a military action" as there was no civilian casualty.

She also said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had not given any casualty figure in his media briefing after the air strike and only gave a statement which is the government's "position".

Gokhale has said the non-military and preemptive strike on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-dossiers-on-pulwama-contain-no-actionable-evidence-claim-pakistani-media-quoting-sources-201161">Jaish-e-Mohammed </a>training camp killed a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.

Sitharaman's remarks come amid some Opposition leader demanding evidence about the number of terrorists killed in the air strike.

The IAF, which carried out the strike on February 26, said on Monday that government would provide details on the casualty figures as the Air Force only sees if a target has been hit or not.

On Tuesday, the defence minister said, "There was no need to analyse more on Balakot strike" as she declined to link the air strike on terror camp with the coming Lok Sabha election.

"After Pulwama attack, we were waiting patiently for days... When we got information the terrorist attacks were originating from that region (Pakistan), without military action, we carried out the strike pointedly," she told reporters in Chennai on the sidelines of the launch of Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PMSYM), a pension scheme.

"Civilians in the vicinity or surrounding areas were not affected in any way, so we have been saying the strike we carried out after Pulwama suicide bombing was not a military action," she added.

On February 14, a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based JeM group rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a bus in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, killing 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel.

Sitharaman said Pakistan has failed to take action against terror groups despite India providing details of terrorist training camps.

"Pakistan has been informed about terrorist camps, with proof, by the present (NDA) and previous UPA government. But they neither took action, nor did they remove the terrorist training camps."

"Pakistan has been denying this globally, saying it was also a victim of terrorism," she said.

On peace talks proposed by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sitharaman said, "We have always been telling that India will be ready to hold talks only if they act against terrorism."

Earlier, she distributed the first 10 identity cards to the beneficiaries of PMSYM, marking the launch of the scheme.

Around 20,000 beneficiaries from Tamil Nadu would be joining the pension scheme Monday, out of 72 lakh unorganised sector workers.

Appealing to the state government to increase the number of Common Service Centres and 'Amma' e-seva centres in the state, Sitharaman said PMSYM along with similar schemes of the state government would fetch Rs 4,000 pension to the beneficiaries.

Unorganised sector workers up to 40 years of age can subscribe to PMSYM, which entails a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to them from 60 years of age.

The scheme, announced in the Budget for 2019-20, is targeted at unorganised sector workers with a monthly income of up to Rs 15,000.

It mandates a monthly contribution of Rs 55 for an 18-year-old worker with equal contribution from the Centre.

The worker joining the scheme at the age of 40 years would contribute Rs 200, while workers at the age of 29 years would pay Rs 100.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday the Indian Air Force strike that destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot area was "not a military action" as there was no civilian casualty.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday the Indian Air Force strike that destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot area was "not a military action" as there was no civilian casualty. She also said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had not given any casualty figure in his media briefing after the air strike and only gave a statement which is the government's "position". Gokhale has said the non-military and preemptive strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp killed a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. Sitharaman's remarks come amid some Opposition leader demanding evidence about the number of terrorists killed in the air strike. The IAF, which carried out the strike on February 26, said on Monday that government would provide details on the casualty figures as the Air Force only sees if a target has been hit or not. On Tuesday, the defence minister said, "There was no need to analyse more on Balakot strike" as she declined to link the air strike on terror camp with the coming Lok Sabha election. "After Pulwama attack, we were waiting patiently for days... When we got information the terrorist attacks were originating from that region (Pakistan), without military action, we carried out the strike pointedly," she told reporters in Chennai on the sidelines of the launch of Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PMSYM), a pension scheme. "Civilians in the vicinity or surrounding areas were not affected in any way, so we have been saying the strike we carried out after Pulwama suicide bombing was not a military action," she added. On February 14, a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based JeM group rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a bus in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, killing 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel. Sitharaman said Pakistan has failed to take action against terror groups despite India providing details of terrorist training camps. "Pakistan has been informed about terrorist camps, with proof, by the present (NDA) and previous UPA government. But they neither took action, nor did they remove the terrorist training camps." "Pakistan has been denying this globally, saying it was also a victim of terrorism," she said. On peace talks proposed by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sitharaman said, "We have always been telling that India will be ready to hold talks only if they act against terrorism." Earlier, she distributed the first 10 identity cards to the beneficiaries of PMSYM, marking the launch of the scheme. Around 20,000 beneficiaries from Tamil Nadu would be joining the pension scheme Monday, out of 72 lakh unorganised sector workers. Appealing to the state government to increase the number of Common Service Centres and 'Amma' e-seva centres in the state, Sitharaman said PMSYM along with similar schemes of the state government would fetch Rs 4,000 pension to the beneficiaries. Unorganised sector workers up to 40 years of age can subscribe to PMSYM, which entails a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to them from 60 years of age. The scheme, announced in the Budget for 2019-20, is targeted at unorganised sector workers with a monthly income of up to Rs 15,000. It mandates a monthly contribution of Rs 55 for an 18-year-old worker with equal contribution from the Centre. The worker joining the scheme at the age of 40 years would contribute Rs 200, while workers at the age of 29 years would pay Rs 100.

Balakot air strike 'non-military action' as no civilian casualty caused: Nirmala Sitharaman

In the days leading up to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-to-50-killed-in-indian-air-strike-on-pakistans-balakot-italian-journalist-quoting-eyewitness-200787">India's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot</a>, intelligence agencies had confirmed the presence of 300 active mobile connections at the facility, the news agency ANI has quoted sources as saying.&nbsp;

ANI reported the sources as saying NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation — a technical intelligence agency which comes under the National Security Adviser) surveillance confirmed the presence of 300 active mobile phone connections at the camp.&nbsp;

The sources added that other intelligence agencies had reported the same findings.&nbsp;

ANI did not say who the sources were.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Sources: NTRO surveillance of JeM Balakot camp in days leading up to air strike by IAF confirmed around 300 active mobile connections in facility <a href="https://t.co/uwyzd0qpHB">pic.twitter.com/uwyzd0qpHB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1102557673076260866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

India struck the JeM camp in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after the February 14 attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The Pulwama attack was claimed by the JeM.&nbsp;

The number of casualties from India's air strike been the biggest sticking point ever since the strike. &nbsp;

After the strike, news reports appearing in the Indian media had said the number of casualties could be as high as 350.&nbsp;

Pakistan has said there were none.&nbsp;

On Sunday, BJP President Amit Shah said 250 cadres of the JeM were killed in the strike.&nbsp;

In the days leading up to India's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, intelligence agencies had confirmed the presence of 300 active mobile connections at the facility, the news agency ANI has quoted sources as saying.

In the days leading up to India's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, intelligence agencies had confirmed the presence of 300 active mobile connections at the facility, the news agency ANI has quoted sources as saying. ANI reported the sources as saying NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation — a technical intelligence agency which comes under the National Security Adviser) surveillance confirmed the presence of 300 active mobile phone connections at the camp. The sources added that other intelligence agencies had reported the same findings. ANI did not say who the sources were. Sources: NTRO surveillance of JeM Balakot camp in days leading up to air strike by IAF confirmed around 300 active mobile connections in facility pic.twitter.com/uwyzd0qpHB — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2019 × India struck the JeM camp in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after the February 14 attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The Pulwama attack was claimed by the JeM. The number of casualties from India's air strike been the biggest sticking point ever since the strike. After the strike, news reports appearing in the Indian media had said the number of casualties could be as high as 350. Pakistan has said there were none. On Sunday, BJP President Amit Shah said 250 cadres of the JeM were killed in the strike.

Before air strike, Indian intelligence agencies confirmed 300 cellphone connections at JeM terror camp: Sources

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-plans-to-take-action-against-terrorists-operating-from-its-soil-information-minister-fawad-chaudhary-201103">Pakistan plans to take action against terrorists operating from its soil: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary</a>

Pakistan plans to take action against militant groups operating on its soil, a minister said on Monday, amid global pressure to act after a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir last month.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-india-pakistan-fight-fear-and-anxiety-rise-in-last-village-before-border-201115">As India &amp; Pakistan fight, fear and anxiety rise in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-india-pakistan-fight-fear-and-anxiety-rise-in-last-village-before-border-201115">last</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-india-pakistan-fight-fear-and-anxiety-rise-in-last-village-before-border-201115"> village before </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-india-pakistan-fight-fear-and-anxiety-rise-in-last-village-before-border-201115">border</a>

As the tension between India and Pakistan continues to simmer, it is the villagers caught between the two neighbours who suffer.&nbsp;

Since the Indian Air Force's air strike on Balakot, 35-year-old Madan Lal has been worried about the safety of his two children. His eyes and ears have been transfixed on the television ever since the strike, as have those of the other villagers.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-saying-it-will-pakistan-does-not-ban-hafiz-saeeds-jud-fif-201111">After saying it will, Pakistan does not ban Hafiz Saeed's JuD &amp; FiF</a>

Pakistan's flip-flop on terror continues with an updated list of terrorist organisations in the country saying 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat (FiF) have not been banned. The list, issued by the Pakistani Interior Ministry's NACTA or National Counter-Terrorism Authority of Pakistan on March 4, lists the JuD and FiF as organisations "under watch".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/junior-british-foriegn-minister-meets-foreign-secretary-in-india-reiterates-londons-call-that-pakistan-must-act-on-terror-201072">'Pakistan must act on terror,' junior British foreign minister says in India</a>

Britain's Junior Foreign Minister Mark Field was in India from March 1 to 3, during which time he met Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and discussed recent tensions between India and Pakistan. He said the UK stands "shoulder-to-shoulder with India in condemnation of the appalling terror attack in Pulwama".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-incs-foreign-borrowings-down-45-in-january-2019-201096">India Inc's foreign borrowings down 45% in January 2019</a>

India Inc's external commercial borrowings (ECBs) fell by 45 per cent to $2.42 billion in January 2019 as compared to the year-ago period, data from RBI has shown.

Domestic firms had raised $5.40 billion from overseas sources during January 2018.

Pakistan plans to take action against terrorists operating from its soil: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary Pakistan plans to take action against militant groups operating on its soil, a minister said on Monday, amid global pressure to act after a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir last month.

Pakistan plans to take action against terrorists operating from its soil: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary Pakistan plans to take action against militant groups operating on its soil, a minister said on Monday, amid global pressure to act after a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir last month. As India & Pakistan fight, fear and anxiety rise in last village before border As the tension between India and Pakistan continues to simmer, it is the villagers caught between the two neighbours who suffer. Since the Indian Air Force's air strike on Balakot, 35-year-old Madan Lal has been worried about the safety of his two children. His eyes and ears have been transfixed on the television ever since the strike, as have those of the other villagers. After saying it will, Pakistan does not ban Hafiz Saeed's JuD & FiF Pakistan's flip-flop on terror continues with an updated list of terrorist organisations in the country saying 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat (FiF) have not been banned. The list, issued by the Pakistani Interior Ministry's NACTA or National Counter-Terrorism Authority of Pakistan on March 4, lists the JuD and FiF as organisations "under watch". 'Pakistan must act on terror,' junior British foreign minister says in India Britain's Junior Foreign Minister Mark Field was in India from March 1 to 3, during which time he met Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and discussed recent tensions between India and Pakistan. He said the UK stands "shoulder-to-shoulder with India in condemnation of the appalling terror attack in Pulwama". India Inc's foreign borrowings down 45% in January 2019 India Inc's external commercial borrowings (ECBs) fell by 45 per cent to $2.42 billion in January 2019 as compared to the year-ago period, data from RBI has shown. Domestic firms had raised $5.40 billion from overseas sources during January 2018.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Indian Air Force(IAF) chief BS Dhanoa spoke to the media for the first time since <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-strikes-on-terror-launchpads-meticulous-planning-led-to-successful-air-force-mission-199830">Mirage 2000 air strikes</a> on&nbsp;Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. &nbsp;

"Mig-21 Bison is a capable aircraft, it has been upgraded, it has better radar, air-to air missiles and better weapons system," India's air chief said, adding,"<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/did-not-face-any-physical-torture-but-went-through-a-lot-of-mental-harassment-abhinandan-on-his-captivity-in-pakistan-200734">Wing Commander Abhinandan</a> will fly again if fit."

Wing Commander Abhinandan was released by Pakistan authorities on Friday after his MiG-21 Bison was shot down as he was involved in a dogfight with Pakistani F-16&nbsp;last Wednesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Whether Wing Commander Abhinandan flies or not depends on his medical fitness. That's why post ejection, he has undergone medical check. Whatever treatment required, will be given. Once we get his medical fitness, he will get into fighter cockpit."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Mig-21 Bison, says, "One is a planned operation in which you plan &amp; carry out.But when an adversary does a strike on you, every available aircraft goes in, irrespective of which aircraft it is. All aircraft are capable of fighting the enemy" <a href="https://t.co/B2mZQTLBRd">pic.twitter.com/B2mZQTLBRd</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1102468153446150144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"We hit the target at Balakot," Dhanoa told reporters, adding,"the Air Force doesn’t calculate casualty numbers, the government does that."

"The target has been clearly amplified by the foreign secretary in his statement. If we plan to hit the target, we hit the target, otherwise why would he (Pak PM Imran Khan) have responded, if we dropped bombs in the jungles why would he respond," the air chief asked reporters when asked about Indian jets hitting the target at Balakot on February 26th. 
 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/crossing-the-rubicon-many-pakistani-nationals-have-paid-a-heavy-price-for-exposing-army-and-jihadi-connect-201007">Also Read:&nbsp;Many Pakistani nationals have paid a heavy price for exposing army and jihadi connect</a>

"We fight with all aircraft's in our inventory," he said.&nbsp; Dhanoa stressed that operations were still ongoing, therefore he won't comment on the issue at present.

On the Rafale fighter jets, the air chief said it would be inducted into the Air Force in September. 
&nbsp;

Indian Air Force(IAF) chief BS Dhanoa spoke to the media for the first time since Mirage 2000 air strikes on Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. "Mig-21 Bison is a capable aircraft, it has been upgraded, it has better radar, air-to air missiles and better weapons system," India's air chief said, adding,"Wing Commander Abhinandan will fly again if fit.

Indian Air Force(IAF) chief BS Dhanoa spoke to the media for the first time since Mirage 2000 air strikes on Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. "Mig-21 Bison is a capable aircraft, it has been upgraded, it has better radar, air-to air missiles and better weapons system," India's air chief said, adding,"Wing Commander Abhinandan will fly again if fit." Wing Commander Abhinandan was released by Pakistan authorities on Friday after his MiG-21 Bison was shot down as he was involved in a dogfight with Pakistani F-16 last Wednesday. "Whether Wing Commander Abhinandan flies or not depends on his medical fitness. That's why post ejection, he has undergone medical check. Whatever treatment required, will be given. Once we get his medical fitness, he will get into fighter cockpit." #WATCH Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Mig-21 Bison, says, "One is a planned operation in which you plan & carry out.But when an adversary does a strike on you, every available aircraft goes in, irrespective of which aircraft it is. All aircraft are capable of fighting the enemy" pic.twitter.com/B2mZQTLBRd — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2019 × "We hit the target at Balakot," Dhanoa told reporters, adding,"the Air Force doesn’t calculate casualty numbers, the government does that." "The target has been clearly amplified by the foreign secretary in his statement. If we plan to hit the target, we hit the target, otherwise why would he (Pak PM Imran Khan) have responded, if we dropped bombs in the jungles why would he respond," the air chief asked reporters when asked about Indian jets hitting the target at Balakot on February 26th. Also Read: Many Pakistani nationals have paid a heavy price for exposing army and jihadi connect "We fight with all aircraft's in our inventory," he said. Dhanoa stressed that operations were still ongoing, therefore he won't comment on the issue at present. On the Rafale fighter jets, the air chief said it would be inducted into the Air Force in September.

We hit the target at Balakot, Wing Commander Abhinandan will fly again if fit: IAF chief Dhanoa

WION's exlusive ground report from air-strike hit Balakot

In the latest development with respect to the Pulwama terror attack, an audio clip has emerged which is believed to carry a message from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar's brother.&nbsp;

In the clip, accessed by WION, the JeM leader admits damage to its training centre by Indian aircraft. The clip has surfaced even when Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan has denied the presence of any terror camps in Balakot when the Indian Air Force carried out strikes earlier this week.&nbsp;

The audio message is believed to be delivered by Azhar's younger brother Maulana Amman who is heard admitting that the Indian aircraft have bombed shelters where jihadis were being trained.

Pakistan has maintained that India bombed what was apparently a forest reserve.

Meanwhile, an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-to-50-killed-in-indian-air-strike-on-pakistans-balakot-italian-journalist-quoting-eyewitness-200787">Italian journalist has told WION</a> that between 40 to 50 people were killed in the Indian air strikes on Pakistan's Balakot on Tuesday night. The air strikes — carried out by Mirage 2000s — Indian authorities have said, targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp.&nbsp;

Reports in the Indian media had earlier said the death toll may have been as high as 350. The Pakistanis had said there had been no deaths at all.&nbsp;

The journalist — Francesca Marino — told WION that she had got confirmation from her source that the death toll was between 40 and 50, and the wounded between 35 to 40.&nbsp;

She told WION's Bhairavi Singh her source was a person living in the area.&nbsp;

"Yesterday I've got confirmations... 100% reliable confirmations," Marino, who was speaking from Rome, told WION.&nbsp;

She added that the dead included 12 young trainees of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group who had all been sleeping in the same area.&nbsp;

Marino told WION that the dead included a JeM trainer called Mufti Moeen, and a bomb expert called Usman Ghani. &nbsp;

Mario added that "the population there is very scared, it is very difficult to get evidence out of there" but that "I am confident I will also get some video proof".&nbsp;

In the latest development with respect to the Pulwama terror attack, an audio clip has emerged which is believed to carry a message from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar's brother.

In the latest development with respect to the Pulwama terror attack, an audio clip has emerged which is believed to carry a message from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar's brother. In the clip, accessed by WION, the JeM leader admits damage to its training centre by Indian aircraft. The clip has surfaced even when Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan has denied the presence of any terror camps in Balakot when the Indian Air Force carried out strikes earlier this week. The audio message is believed to be delivered by Azhar's younger brother Maulana Amman who is heard admitting that the Indian aircraft have bombed shelters where jihadis were being trained. Pakistan has maintained that India bombed what was apparently a forest reserve. Meanwhile, an Italian journalist has told WION that between 40 to 50 people were killed in the Indian air strikes on Pakistan's Balakot on Tuesday night. The air strikes — carried out by Mirage 2000s — Indian authorities have said, targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp. Reports in the Indian media had earlier said the death toll may have been as high as 350. The Pakistanis had said there had been no deaths at all. The journalist — Francesca Marino — told WION that she had got confirmation from her source that the death toll was between 40 and 50, and the wounded between 35 to 40. She told WION's Bhairavi Singh her source was a person living in the area. "Yesterday I've got confirmations... 100% reliable confirmations," Marino, who was speaking from Rome, told WION. She added that the dead included 12 young trainees of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group who had all been sleeping in the same area. Marino told WION that the dead included a JeM trainer called Mufti Moeen, and a bomb expert called Usman Ghani. Mario added that "the population there is very scared, it is very difficult to get evidence out of there" but that "I am confident I will also get some video proof".

In audio message, JeM admits damage to training camp in Pakistan after Indian strikes

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday mocked what he called ''compelled contrarians'' who, he said, did not know the difference between 'Balakot' and 'Bala Kote' and started spreading misinformation without realising that Indian forces would not launch an attack in its own territory.

"When our Air Force reached Balakot in KPK (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) before we could get any information, some people started saying Balakot is along the Line of Control (LoC). Some people whom I call compulsive contrarians found a new Balakot and did not check that Bala Kote is in our Poonch (sector). Why would our forces attack our territory?" Jaitley was quoted as saying by news agency ANI during the release of the book ‘Mann ki Baat – A Social Revolution on Radio’.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
FM Jaitley:When our Air Force reached Balakot in KPK before we could get any info some ppl started saying Balakot is along LoC.Some ppl whom I call compulsive contrarians found a new Balakot&amp;didn't check that, that Bala Kote is in our Poonch.Why'd our forces attack our territory? <a href="https://t.co/hRINtQS9so">pic.twitter.com/hRINtQS9so</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1101740438577270784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on February 26 launched pre-emptive airstrikes at a large Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror training camp in Balakot in Pakistan.&nbsp;

The airstrikes were undertaken in retaliation to the terror attack in Pulwama in which about 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives. JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balakot was earlier confused with Bala Kote, which is located along the LoC and is very close to Rajouri and Azmatabad in Jammu and Kashmir.

Confirming that the aerial strikes took place deep inside Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had said the “pre-emptive” strike in Balakot by India had become absolutely necessary as there was credible information that JeM was planning further attacks.

“In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis, who were being trained for fidayeen action, were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, JeM chief,” he elaborated.&nbsp;

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday mocked what he called ''compelled contrarians'' who, he said, did not know the difference between 'Balakot' and 'Bala Kote' and started spreading misinformation without realising that Indian forces would not launch an attack in its own territory.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday mocked what he called ''compelled contrarians'' who, he said, did not know the difference between 'Balakot' and 'Bala Kote' and started spreading misinformation without realising that Indian forces would not launch an attack in its own territory. "When our Air Force reached Balakot in KPK (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) before we could get any information, some people started saying Balakot is along the Line of Control (LoC). Some people whom I call compulsive contrarians found a new Balakot and did not check that Bala Kote is in our Poonch (sector). Why would our forces attack our territory?" Jaitley was quoted as saying by news agency ANI during the release of the book ‘Mann ki Baat – A Social Revolution on Radio’. FM Jaitley:When our Air Force reached Balakot in KPK before we could get any info some ppl started saying Balakot is along LoC.Some ppl whom I call compulsive contrarians found a new Balakot&didn't check that, that Bala Kote is in our Poonch.Why'd our forces attack our territory? pic.twitter.com/hRINtQS9so — ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2019 × The Indian Air Force (IAF) on February 26 launched pre-emptive airstrikes at a large Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror training camp in Balakot in Pakistan. The airstrikes were undertaken in retaliation to the terror attack in Pulwama in which about 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives. JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack. Balakot was earlier confused with Bala Kote, which is located along the LoC and is very close to Rajouri and Azmatabad in Jammu and Kashmir. Confirming that the aerial strikes took place deep inside Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had said the “pre-emptive” strike in Balakot by India had become absolutely necessary as there was credible information that JeM was planning further attacks. “In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis, who were being trained for fidayeen action, were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, JeM chief,” he elaborated.

'Compulsive contrarians' found new 'Balakot': Jaitley mocks misinformation on airstrikes

The Indian response to the Pulwama terror attacks, when Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage jets pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps at Balakot (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) Pakistan and probably other JeM camps at Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) causing considerable damage, killing about 300 terrorists including their top Commanders, was carefully calibrated.

The government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India.&nbsp;Since the government of Pakistan failed to honour its commitment and since there was credible evidence that JeM was attempting further suicide attacks in India, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary. &nbsp;

The camp at Balakot has a long history. Ayesha Jalal in her book ‘The Partisans of Allah’ calls it “the point of entry of Jihad and Islamic warriors” in the Indian subcontinent. In the 1830’s, the British allowed Syed Ahmad Shah of Raebareli to gather forces around Balakot to attack the Sikhs who ruled the area. However, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army killed the Wahabis in 1831 and the Jihad against non-Muslims ended in failure. &nbsp;

The present camp was set up during the time of former Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq to train Afghan Mujahideen and organisations like Harkat-ul-Ansar and Hizbul Mujahideen, used this camp till the JeM made it an important centre since 2000.

The Balakot camp is particularly important due to the fact that it runs three terror courses. The Daura-e-Aam is a basic course, which all fresh recruits to terrorism undergo. Those who excel and show potential are admitted into the more advanced Daura-e-Khas. Only the elite terrorists who show a high degree of motivation and willingness to die are sent for the Daura-e-Zarar. Here the syllabus includes attacks on convoys, fidayeen attacks and suicide bombing. &nbsp;

The Balakot camp has been run by the Masood Azhar family since 2000 and his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar was said to be running the camp at present. &nbsp;

Yusuf Azhar is wanted by the CBI as he is one of the seven accused in the IC 814 hijacking case of December 1999. It should be clear that while the tenants in the camps at Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakothi keep changing, the owner has remained the same - Pakistan’s ISI. &nbsp;

Although Pakistan had used trained irregulars to attack Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 and again during Operation Gibraltar in 1965, the use of terrorists to further its interests really took off in the late 1980’s after the success of this policy in Afghanistan. &nbsp;

Since Pakistan has been exporting terror for such a long time and this policy has widespread support within the Pakistan establishment, one surgical strike or another air strike is not going to make it give up this long-standing policy of asymmetric warfare. &nbsp;

Given the support for terrorism within the Pakistani public, the military and intelligence agencies, Islamabad most likely would be unwilling to abandon terrorism as a tool of foreign policy and contend with the emergent terrorist threat ravaging Pakistan and its surrounding region. &nbsp;

Pakistan’s security establishment has a visceral hatred of India and according to Christian Fair in her article ‘The Militant Challenge in Pakistan’ published in Asia Policy magazine (January 2011), the international community should abandon optimism that Pakistan can or will change course and should prepare for increasing Islamist violence in the region and beyond. However, by its airstrike, India has put Pakistan on notice, suggesting that she will not take terrorist attacks lying down and will hit back using various means at its command. &nbsp;

By calling it ‘a non-military pre-emptive action’ India has chosen to calibrate its response and not escalate the situation beyond a point. &nbsp;

While India and the world community have been hoping that Pakistan will eschew terror, there is no evidence that Pakistan is changing course, so far. &nbsp;

Hilary Clinton, then US, Secretary of State during her press conference in Islamabad in October 2011 had famously said, “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbours. You know, eventually these snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.” &nbsp;

Although Pakistan’s tolerance of jihadi terror has had a devastating effect on its own society, polity and economy, yet the army and the ISI who call the shots in Pakistan are not willing to make a U-turn. India will, therefore, have to stay the course and make the cost of terror in India prohibitive to Pakistan. Already Pakistan is a basket case and going to the IMF, China and Saudi Arabia to bail out its economy. It cannot launch a sustained war given its precarious economic condition. &nbsp;

China has also invested very heavily in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and cannot afford that this investment is jeopardised. Its own economy is heavily weighed down by debt and the trade war with the US is hurting it badly. &nbsp;

India must, therefore, be resolute at this moment and act in a carefully calibrated manner to make Pakistan give up the use of terror against it. This is no time for jingoism and even though it is election season, all politicians should remain circumspect and make responsible statements. It is best to let our defence forces speak through their actions. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-a-carefully-calibrated-move-2725112">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

The Indian response to the Pulwama terror attacks, when Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage jets pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps at Balakot (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) Pakistan and probably other JeM camps at Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) causing considerable damage, killing about 300 terrorists including their top Commanders, was carefully calibrated.

The Indian response to the Pulwama terror attacks, when Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage jets pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps at Balakot (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) Pakistan and probably other JeM camps at Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) causing considerable damage, killing about 300 terrorists including their top Commanders, was carefully calibrated. The government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India. Since the government of Pakistan failed to honour its commitment and since there was credible evidence that JeM was attempting further suicide attacks in India, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary. The camp at Balakot has a long history. Ayesha Jalal in her book ‘The Partisans of Allah’ calls it “the point of entry of Jihad and Islamic warriors” in the Indian subcontinent. In the 1830’s, the British allowed Syed Ahmad Shah of Raebareli to gather forces around Balakot to attack the Sikhs who ruled the area. However, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army killed the Wahabis in 1831 and the Jihad against non-Muslims ended in failure. The present camp was set up during the time of former Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq to train Afghan Mujahideen and organisations like Harkat-ul-Ansar and Hizbul Mujahideen, used this camp till the JeM made it an important centre since 2000. The Balakot camp is particularly important due to the fact that it runs three terror courses. The Daura-e-Aam is a basic course, which all fresh recruits to terrorism undergo. Those who excel and show potential are admitted into the more advanced Daura-e-Khas. Only the elite terrorists who show a high degree of motivation and willingness to die are sent for the Daura-e-Zarar. Here the syllabus includes attacks on convoys, fidayeen attacks and suicide bombing. The Balakot camp has been run by the Masood Azhar family since 2000 and his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar was said to be running the camp at present. Yusuf Azhar is wanted by the CBI as he is one of the seven accused in the IC 814 hijacking case of December 1999. It should be clear that while the tenants in the camps at Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakothi keep changing, the owner has remained the same - Pakistan’s ISI. Although Pakistan had used trained irregulars to attack Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 and again during Operation Gibraltar in 1965, the use of terrorists to further its interests really took off in the late 1980’s after the success of this policy in Afghanistan. Since Pakistan has been exporting terror for such a long time and this policy has widespread support within the Pakistan establishment, one surgical strike or another air strike is not going to make it give up this long-standing policy of asymmetric warfare. Given the support for terrorism within the Pakistani public, the military and intelligence agencies, Islamabad most likely would be unwilling to abandon terrorism as a tool of foreign policy and contend with the emergent terrorist threat ravaging Pakistan and its surrounding region. Pakistan’s security establishment has a visceral hatred of India and according to Christian Fair in her article ‘The Militant Challenge in Pakistan’ published in Asia Policy magazine (January 2011), the international community should abandon optimism that Pakistan can or will change course and should prepare for increasing Islamist violence in the region and beyond. However, by its airstrike, India has put Pakistan on notice, suggesting that she will not take terrorist attacks lying down and will hit back using various means at its command. By calling it ‘a non-military pre-emptive action’ India has chosen to calibrate its response and not escalate the situation beyond a point. While India and the world community have been hoping that Pakistan will eschew terror, there is no evidence that Pakistan is changing course, so far. Hilary Clinton, then US, Secretary of State during her press conference in Islamabad in October 2011 had famously said, “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbours. You know, eventually these snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.” Although Pakistan’s tolerance of jihadi terror has had a devastating effect on its own society, polity and economy, yet the army and the ISI who call the shots in Pakistan are not willing to make a U-turn. India will, therefore, have to stay the course and make the cost of terror in India prohibitive to Pakistan. Already Pakistan is a basket case and going to the IMF, China and Saudi Arabia to bail out its economy. It cannot launch a sustained war given its precarious economic condition. China has also invested very heavily in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and cannot afford that this investment is jeopardised. Its own economy is heavily weighed down by debt and the trade war with the US is hurting it badly. India must, therefore, be resolute at this moment and act in a carefully calibrated manner to make Pakistan give up the use of terror against it. This is no time for jingoism and even though it is election season, all politicians should remain circumspect and make responsible statements. It is best to let our defence forces speak through their actions. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Pulwama terror attack: India's response was carefully calibrated

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya Friday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "doubting" the success of the strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at training camps of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-strike-heres-why-balakot-was-chosen-by-indian-air-force-199792">terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed at Balakot</a> in Pakistan.

BJP's state president Dilip Ghosh also criticised her saying it is "condemnable" that an Indian politician, and not a Pakistani one, is demanding evidence of success of the air strike.

"It is a matter of shame that just for the sake of politics, a chief minister is doubting our armed forces, when the entire country stands by the armed forces. We condemn such statements," Vijayvergiya told reporters on the sidelines of a party meeting here.

Banerjee Thursday said the nation has a right to know what actually happened at Balakot in Pakistan following the IAF's air strike there, as several foreign media had reported that not much damage was done by the air strike.

She had said, "We have the right to know, people of this country want to know how many were killed. Where was the bomb actually dropped? Was it dropped on the target?"

Government officials had said on Tuesday that in a pre-dawn strike, the IAF bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp at Balakot in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, killing over 350 terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.

Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility of the Pulwama terror attack that left over 40 CRPF jawans dead on February 14.

It was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strike's success, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, said Thursday on the scepticism in some quarters about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh too slammed Banerjee, also Trinamool Congress supremo, for asking for evidence of the success of the air strike.

"Had a Pakistani politician asked such a question, we would have understood it. But it is shameful and condemnable that a politician from India, and that too a chief minister, has been raising such questions," Ghosh said.

Vijayvergiya also claimed that the return of IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman from the custody of Pakistan is a diplomatic victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It is a diplomatic victory of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/iafs-balakot-operation-against-jem-is-proof-of-narendra-modi-governments-decisiveness-199973">Narendra Modiji</a> that for last two days Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been wishing to talk to our prime minister. But our PM said first Pakistan has to release our pilot and stop exporting terrorism. This is our diplomatic victory," Vijayvergiya said.

Pakistan held Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Wednesday after fighter jets of both the nations engaged in an air battle following an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. The pilot is scheduled to return via Attari border Friday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday announced in a joint session of Pakistani Parliament that the pilot would be released on Friday as a gesture of peace.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya Friday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "doubting" the success of the strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at training camps of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed at Balakot in Pakistan.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya Friday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "doubting" the success of the strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at training camps of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed at Balakot in Pakistan. BJP's state president Dilip Ghosh also criticised her saying it is "condemnable" that an Indian politician, and not a Pakistani one, is demanding evidence of success of the air strike. "It is a matter of shame that just for the sake of politics, a chief minister is doubting our armed forces, when the entire country stands by the armed forces. We condemn such statements," Vijayvergiya told reporters on the sidelines of a party meeting here. Banerjee Thursday said the nation has a right to know what actually happened at Balakot in Pakistan following the IAF's air strike there, as several foreign media had reported that not much damage was done by the air strike. She had said, "We have the right to know, people of this country want to know how many were killed. Where was the bomb actually dropped? Was it dropped on the target?" Government officials had said on Tuesday that in a pre-dawn strike, the IAF bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp at Balakot in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, killing over 350 terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility of the Pulwama terror attack that left over 40 CRPF jawans dead on February 14. It was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strike's success, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, said Thursday on the scepticism in some quarters about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh too slammed Banerjee, also Trinamool Congress supremo, for asking for evidence of the success of the air strike. "Had a Pakistani politician asked such a question, we would have understood it. But it is shameful and condemnable that a politician from India, and that too a chief minister, has been raising such questions," Ghosh said. Vijayvergiya also claimed that the return of IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman from the custody of Pakistan is a diplomatic victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "It is a diplomatic victory of Narendra Modiji that for last two days Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been wishing to talk to our prime minister. But our PM said first Pakistan has to release our pilot and stop exporting terrorism. This is our diplomatic victory," Vijayvergiya said. Pakistan held Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Wednesday after fighter jets of both the nations engaged in an air battle following an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. The pilot is scheduled to return via Attari border Friday. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday announced in a joint session of Pakistani Parliament that the pilot would be released on Friday as a gesture of peace.

BJP leader Vijayvergiya slams Mamata for 'doubting' success of air strike in Balakot

Prime Minister Imran Khan told the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-india-refuses-to-negotiate-pilots-return-pak-foreign-minister-qureshi-says-ready-to-send-him-back-if-it-leads-to-de-escalation-200283">National Assembly today that the Pakistan government </a>would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow.

The development comes after&nbsp;a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if&nbsp;it led&nbsp;to "de-escalation".

A government source had said earlier that India won't allow a "Kandahar-like" situation this time. &nbsp;"If they think they will hold us hostage with our captured defence personnel, this won't happen," the sources added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said.

India on Wednesday had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah &nbsp;and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by Air forces of the two countries.

"It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the external affairs ministry said, adding that it had conveyed "strong objection" to the Pakistan deputy high commissioner at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention.&nbsp;

As tensions between the two nations continued to rise, US President Donald Trump sought to cool nerves asserting that &nbsp;"reasonably attractive" news was set to come from Pakistan and India.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam after the second summit with North Korean leader Kim, Trump said, "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it we have been involved in trying to help them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news."

He added, "I think, hopefully that will be coming to an end. It's being going for a long time. Decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately." 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Imran Khan told the National Assembly today that the Pakistan government would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow. The development comes after a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it led to "de-escalation".

Prime Minister Imran Khan told the National Assembly today that the Pakistan government would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow. The development comes after a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it led to "de-escalation". A government source had said earlier that India won't allow a "Kandahar-like" situation this time. "If they think they will hold us hostage with our captured defence personnel, this won't happen," the sources added. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India on Wednesday had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by Air forces of the two countries. "It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the external affairs ministry said, adding that it had conveyed "strong objection" to the Pakistan deputy high commissioner at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention. As tensions between the two nations continued to rise, US President Donald Trump sought to cool nerves asserting that "reasonably attractive" news was set to come from Pakistan and India. Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam after the second summit with North Korean leader Kim, Trump said, "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it we have been involved in trying to help them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news." He added, "I think, hopefully that will be coming to an end. It's being going for a long time. Decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately."

As a peace gesture we are releasing captured Indian pilot, says Pak PM Imran Khan

After India asked for immediate <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-pakistan-standoff-us-supports-indias-airstrikes-on-jem-terror-camp-and-other-developments-200164">release of the pilot from Pakistan</a>, a media report said &nbsp;foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot it it lead to "de-escalation".

A government source had said earlier that India won't allow a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/wont-allow-a-kandahar-this-time-pakistan-must-immediately-send-our-pilot-back-says-india-200264">"Kandahar-like" situation</a> this time. &nbsp;"If they think they will hold us hostage with our captured defence personnel, this won't happen," the sources added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7FerNiFKzs8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

India on Wednesday had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan&nbsp;Syed Haider Shah&nbsp; and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by Air forces of the two countries.

"It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the external affairs ministry said, adding that it had conveyed "strong objection" to the Pakistan deputy high commissioner at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention.&nbsp;

As tensions between the two nations continued to rise, US President Donald Trump sought to cool nerves asserting that &nbsp;"reasonably attractive" news was set to come from Pakistan and India.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam after the second summit with North Korean leader Kim, Trump said, "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it we have been involved in trying to help them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news."

He added, "I think, hopefully that will be coming to an end. It's being going for a long time. Decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately." 
&nbsp;

After India asked for immediate release of the pilot from Pakistan, a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot it it lead to "de-escalation".

After India asked for immediate release of the pilot from Pakistan, a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot it it lead to "de-escalation". A government source had said earlier that India won't allow a "Kandahar-like" situation this time. "If they think they will hold us hostage with our captured defence personnel, this won't happen," the sources added. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India on Wednesday had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by Air forces of the two countries. "It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the external affairs ministry said, adding that it had conveyed "strong objection" to the Pakistan deputy high commissioner at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention. As tensions between the two nations continued to rise, US President Donald Trump sought to cool nerves asserting that "reasonably attractive" news was set to come from Pakistan and India. Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam after the second summit with North Korean leader Kim, Trump said, "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it we have been involved in trying to help them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news." He added, "I think, hopefully that will be coming to an end. It's being going for a long time. Decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately."

After India refuses to negotiate pilot's return, Pak foreign minister Qureshi says ready to send him back if it leads to 'de-escalation'

The pre-dawn air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s largest terrorist camp in Balakot, 80 km deep into Pakistani territory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s backyard, has transformed the 71-year-old paradigm around India’s strategy on combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.&nbsp;

Crossing the Line of Control (LoC) had been studiously avoided in previous conflicts with Pakistan. Even in the 1999 Kargil war, Indian air strikes had been conducted from India’s side of the LoC. Tuesday morning’s air strikes will have two broad consequences: military and electoral. &nbsp;

Though Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has termed the strikes “non-military and pre-emptive”, they were non-military only in the sense that they did not target Pakistan’s military installations. However, since terror groups like the JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen are arms of the Pakistani military, the reported killing of hundreds of Jaish terrorists will send the strongest message the Pakistani army has received in decades.&nbsp;

The cost of terrorism has just gone up manifold. No longer can the Pakistani army’s sponsored, funded and armed terror groups attack Indian targets at will without paying a heavy price. The precise damage done to terror camps in Pakistan will soon emerge with greater clarity. But there is no doubt that the days of Pakistan-based terror groups enjoying relative immunity from strong Indian retaliation are over.&nbsp;

The second consequence is obviously electoral. With less than six weeks to go before the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the conclusion is inescapable: this alters the chemistry and mathematics of the election. Much now depends on how Pakistan reacts to the successful Indian strikes. If it downplays their impact, it can avoid escalation of the conflict. India has been quick to brief the envoys of all major powers about the pre-emptive nature of the strikes against a legitimate new terror threat from the Jaish. Pakistan says it will approach the United Nations. That move will go nowhere since four permanent members of the UNSC — the United States, Britain, France and Russia — have firmly backed India.&nbsp;

In the coming days, as attention shifts to electoral campaigning, opposition criticism of the government’s action, currently muted, will emerge. Unity over tackling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has always been tenuous. It is unlikely to hold for long now.&nbsp;

After the 9/11 terror attack on the United States in 2001, the country rallied behind President George W Bush. Democrats and Republicans spoke in one voice. The retaliatory “shock and awe” US air attack on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan was supported across the American political and media spectrum.&nbsp;

Unless a nation presents a united front, terrorism will not be defeated. In the US there hasn’t been a single major terror strike on the mainland by Al-Qaeda or the morphed Islamic State (IS) since 2001. &nbsp;In India, after every terror attack by jihadi groups based, trained and funded by Pakistan, recriminations start. Opposition parties feign support but within days visceral politicking begins.&nbsp;

The air strikes come at an unexpected time for the opposition. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had acquired a spring in his step. The introduction of Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra into formal politics had created euphoria among Congress workers, especially in Uttar Pradesh. The Pulwama strike took place four hours before Priyanka was scheduled to address a press conference. Wisely, she cancelled it, speaking for just two minutes to condemn the attack, details of which were just filtering in.&nbsp;

The Congress party leadership now fears that Tuesday’s air strikes have fundamentally altered the arithmetic of the 2019 Lok Sabha election in favour of the BJP. The fear is two-fold. First, that public outrage is so strong that national security has now become a key electoral issue, overshadowing the Congress’ attack on jobs and rural distress.&nbsp;

Second, with less than 45 days to go before the first phase of a multi-phase Lok Sabha poll begins (in 2014, the first of seven phases was held on April 7), the impact of the air strikes on public sentiment will last well into the elections.&nbsp;

There was always an inevitability of the Modi government taking strong military action against terror assets inside Pakistani territory. The United States has unrivalled access to global intelligence inputs. When asked about India’s likely response to the Pulwama terror attack last Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters enigmatically that India was “looking at something very strong”.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meanwhile said little specifically except underlining that it was time for action and the time for talks was over. He added that he had given the armed forces a free hand to act. It is now known that the go-ahead for action against the JeM terror camp was given by the Prime Minister just days after the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy.&nbsp;

In an interview to a newspaper eight days before the Pulwama terror attack, Rahul had displayed his new combative role with gusto: “Mr Modi’s credibility is gone. Do me a favour, when you go out of here, when you stop at a red light, look at someone who is not really rich, and say ‘chowkidar’, and see if he answers ‘chor hai.’ When I am riding around Delhi, I hear them saying, ‘chowkidar chor hai.”&nbsp;

That is an epithet unlikely to resonate well in public discourse today.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-electoral-impact-of-air-strikes-2724785">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The pre-dawn air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s largest terrorist camp in Balakot, 80 km deep into Pakistani territory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s backyard, has transformed the 71-year-old paradigm around India’s strategy on combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

The pre-dawn air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s largest terrorist camp in Balakot, 80 km deep into Pakistani territory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s backyard, has transformed the 71-year-old paradigm around India’s strategy on combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Crossing the Line of Control (LoC) had been studiously avoided in previous conflicts with Pakistan. Even in the 1999 Kargil war, Indian air strikes had been conducted from India’s side of the LoC. Tuesday morning’s air strikes will have two broad consequences: military and electoral. Though Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has termed the strikes “non-military and pre-emptive”, they were non-military only in the sense that they did not target Pakistan’s military installations. However, since terror groups like the JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen are arms of the Pakistani military, the reported killing of hundreds of Jaish terrorists will send the strongest message the Pakistani army has received in decades. The cost of terrorism has just gone up manifold. No longer can the Pakistani army’s sponsored, funded and armed terror groups attack Indian targets at will without paying a heavy price. The precise damage done to terror camps in Pakistan will soon emerge with greater clarity. But there is no doubt that the days of Pakistan-based terror groups enjoying relative immunity from strong Indian retaliation are over. The second consequence is obviously electoral. With less than six weeks to go before the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the conclusion is inescapable: this alters the chemistry and mathematics of the election. Much now depends on how Pakistan reacts to the successful Indian strikes. If it downplays their impact, it can avoid escalation of the conflict. India has been quick to brief the envoys of all major powers about the pre-emptive nature of the strikes against a legitimate new terror threat from the Jaish. Pakistan says it will approach the United Nations. That move will go nowhere since four permanent members of the UNSC — the United States, Britain, France and Russia — have firmly backed India. In the coming days, as attention shifts to electoral campaigning, opposition criticism of the government’s action, currently muted, will emerge. Unity over tackling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has always been tenuous. It is unlikely to hold for long now. After the 9/11 terror attack on the United States in 2001, the country rallied behind President George W Bush. Democrats and Republicans spoke in one voice. The retaliatory “shock and awe” US air attack on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan was supported across the American political and media spectrum. Unless a nation presents a united front, terrorism will not be defeated. In the US there hasn’t been a single major terror strike on the mainland by Al-Qaeda or the morphed Islamic State (IS) since 2001. In India, after every terror attack by jihadi groups based, trained and funded by Pakistan, recriminations start. Opposition parties feign support but within days visceral politicking begins. The air strikes come at an unexpected time for the opposition. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had acquired a spring in his step. The introduction of Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra into formal politics had created euphoria among Congress workers, especially in Uttar Pradesh. The Pulwama strike took place four hours before Priyanka was scheduled to address a press conference. Wisely, she cancelled it, speaking for just two minutes to condemn the attack, details of which were just filtering in. The Congress party leadership now fears that Tuesday’s air strikes have fundamentally altered the arithmetic of the 2019 Lok Sabha election in favour of the BJP. The fear is two-fold. First, that public outrage is so strong that national security has now become a key electoral issue, overshadowing the Congress’ attack on jobs and rural distress. Second, with less than 45 days to go before the first phase of a multi-phase Lok Sabha poll begins (in 2014, the first of seven phases was held on April 7), the impact of the air strikes on public sentiment will last well into the elections. There was always an inevitability of the Modi government taking strong military action against terror assets inside Pakistani territory. The United States has unrivalled access to global intelligence inputs. When asked about India’s likely response to the Pulwama terror attack last Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters enigmatically that India was “looking at something very strong”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi meanwhile said little specifically except underlining that it was time for action and the time for talks was over. He added that he had given the armed forces a free hand to act. It is now known that the go-ahead for action against the JeM terror camp was given by the Prime Minister just days after the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy. In an interview to a newspaper eight days before the Pulwama terror attack, Rahul had displayed his new combative role with gusto: “Mr Modi’s credibility is gone. Do me a favour, when you go out of here, when you stop at a red light, look at someone who is not really rich, and say ‘chowkidar’, and see if he answers ‘chor hai.’ When I am riding around Delhi, I hear them saying, ‘chowkidar chor hai.” That is an epithet unlikely to resonate well in public discourse today. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

India-Pakistan tension: Unless nation presents united front, terrorism will not be defeated

India has dished out to Pakistan what it had been asking for years. Pakistan had been testing India’s patience by carrying out dastardly attacks through its band of home-grown terrorists in Kashmir and other parts of the country. But for how long? It had to happen. India needed to give a strong reply to Pakistan to stop it in its tracks.&nbsp;

For how long could Pakistan expect India to sit quietly as it went about continuing with its state policy of terror? A loud and clear message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in going inside the Pakistani territory to hunt out terrorists and their camps. &nbsp;

Here are the key takeaways:&nbsp; 
 
Meticulous planning: The air strike was well-timed and carefully planned. It is not easy to carry out aerial attacks during the hours of darkness when operations get hampered due to lower visibility. But Indian Air Force chose 3.30 am local time to exploit the advantages to maximum effect when its Mirage 2000 fighter jets dropped bombs on JeM terrorist camp in Pakistan's Balakot. In less than 30 minutes, 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets completed the job with precision by eliminating the terror camp, which had taken the responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were martyred. Though exact figures are not readily available, a large number of militants and their leaders and handlers (some reports put the figure between 200 and 300) were killed. &nbsp; 
 
Pakistan caught napping: Pakistan least expected India to cross the Line of Control and conduct airstrikes inside its territory. Pakistan knew of impending response from India in the wake of the outrage following the Pulwama terror attack. Expecting India to carry out another surgical attack following the Uri attack last year, it had moved away several terror launch pads and training facilities from the line of control dividing Kashmir. But the least it had expected that India will dare to launch air strikes on its soil. This is the first time India has resorted to aerial bombing over the disputed border since the 1971 war. Indian warplanes had not crossed the Line of Control even during the brief Kargil conflict in 1999. &nbsp;

Zero tolerance towards terrorism: A hard and decisive message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in taking punitive measures if the former continued with its malicious designs. India had earlier indicated a change of its approach when it carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists 10 days after the Uri attack in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed. &nbsp;With Pakistan disregarding all calls from India and the world leaders to close terror camps operating from its soil and prevent infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir, such a reply was long overdue. &nbsp;

Prepared for escalation: The air strike also conveys Indian leadership’s readiness for an all-out confrontation if Pakistan chooses to escalate the situation. Thus far, New Delhi had been held hostage to Islamabad’s manipulation and the threat of use of nuclear weapons if India dared any limited strikes on Pakistan. It resisted the military response, despite the massive outcry back home, for fear of escalation of hostilities. But New Delhi has decided to bite the bullet by extracting revenge on both the occasions. This marks a tectonic shift from India’s earlier stand when it used to share information of terror attacks with Pakistan in the hope that the latter will live up to its promise and take any concrete action against the terrorist groups operating from its soil. &nbsp;

Message to the world: With the world leaders baulking at India’s repeated requests for concerted and timely action against terrorism, New Delhi has decided to walk the talk. India has also sent out a strong signal to the global community that enough is enough and it reserves the right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism. India is unlikely to face any resistance given the global community’s strong condemnation of the Pulwama terror attacks and support to New Delhi. In fact, the US national security advisor John Bolton had gone on to say that Washington supported India's right to 'self-defence' from 'cross-border terrorism'.&nbsp;

What does it augur: There is no doubt that India’s military action has upped the ante and the world is concerned about the escalation of hostilities. The Indo-Pakistan relations have taken a severe hit and there does not seem a ray of hope of any betterment in the situation in the very near future. Any miscalculation by either of the two countries can bring them to the brink of a full-fledged war which does not augur well. Both countries should practice restraint and bide time to give peace another chance.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

India has dished out to Pakistan what it had been asking for years. Pakistan had been testing India’s patience by carrying out dastardly attacks through its band of home-grown terrorists in Kashmir and other parts of the country.

India has dished out to Pakistan what it had been asking for years. Pakistan had been testing India’s patience by carrying out dastardly attacks through its band of home-grown terrorists in Kashmir and other parts of the country. But for how long? It had to happen. India needed to give a strong reply to Pakistan to stop it in its tracks. For how long could Pakistan expect India to sit quietly as it went about continuing with its state policy of terror? A loud and clear message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in going inside the Pakistani territory to hunt out terrorists and their camps. Here are the key takeaways: Meticulous planning: The air strike was well-timed and carefully planned. It is not easy to carry out aerial attacks during the hours of darkness when operations get hampered due to lower visibility. But Indian Air Force chose 3.30 am local time to exploit the advantages to maximum effect when its Mirage 2000 fighter jets dropped bombs on JeM terrorist camp in Pakistan's Balakot. In less than 30 minutes, 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets completed the job with precision by eliminating the terror camp, which had taken the responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were martyred. Though exact figures are not readily available, a large number of militants and their leaders and handlers (some reports put the figure between 200 and 300) were killed. Pakistan caught napping: Pakistan least expected India to cross the Line of Control and conduct airstrikes inside its territory. Pakistan knew of impending response from India in the wake of the outrage following the Pulwama terror attack. Expecting India to carry out another surgical attack following the Uri attack last year, it had moved away several terror launch pads and training facilities from the line of control dividing Kashmir. But the least it had expected that India will dare to launch air strikes on its soil. This is the first time India has resorted to aerial bombing over the disputed border since the 1971 war. Indian warplanes had not crossed the Line of Control even during the brief Kargil conflict in 1999. Zero tolerance towards terrorism: A hard and decisive message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in taking punitive measures if the former continued with its malicious designs. India had earlier indicated a change of its approach when it carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists 10 days after the Uri attack in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed. With Pakistan disregarding all calls from India and the world leaders to close terror camps operating from its soil and prevent infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir, such a reply was long overdue. Prepared for escalation: The air strike also conveys Indian leadership’s readiness for an all-out confrontation if Pakistan chooses to escalate the situation. Thus far, New Delhi had been held hostage to Islamabad’s manipulation and the threat of use of nuclear weapons if India dared any limited strikes on Pakistan. It resisted the military response, despite the massive outcry back home, for fear of escalation of hostilities. But New Delhi has decided to bite the bullet by extracting revenge on both the occasions. This marks a tectonic shift from India’s earlier stand when it used to share information of terror attacks with Pakistan in the hope that the latter will live up to its promise and take any concrete action against the terrorist groups operating from its soil. Message to the world: With the world leaders baulking at India’s repeated requests for concerted and timely action against terrorism, New Delhi has decided to walk the talk. India has also sent out a strong signal to the global community that enough is enough and it reserves the right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism. India is unlikely to face any resistance given the global community’s strong condemnation of the Pulwama terror attacks and support to New Delhi. In fact, the US national security advisor John Bolton had gone on to say that Washington supported India's right to 'self-defence' from 'cross-border terrorism'. What does it augur: There is no doubt that India’s military action has upped the ante and the world is concerned about the escalation of hostilities. The Indo-Pakistan relations have taken a severe hit and there does not seem a ray of hope of any betterment in the situation in the very near future. Any miscalculation by either of the two countries can bring them to the brink of a full-fledged war which does not augur well. Both countries should practice restraint and bide time to give peace another chance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Balakot operation: India serves it right and tight to Pakistan

WION at Ground Zero of IAF air strike, reports from Balakot

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-calls-meeting-of-top-decision-making-body-on-nuclear-issues-199999">Pakistan</a> has, after the Indian strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, told the United Nations' Secretary-General that the Indian Air Force (IAF) strike is equivalent to "aggression against Pakistan."

"I am writing a letter to you in view of the deterioration of the situation. Indian jets violated the Line of Control (LoC) this morning. We had informed the UN about Indian aggression after Pulwama attack in the previous letter," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote in a letter to UN Chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday.

Qureshi further outlined that the Indian strike is equivalent to aggression against Pakistan, and jeopardises peace and security in the region, reports ARY News.

This comes after India conducted an anti-terror strike on a JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan`s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in the early hours of Tuesday, eliminating a “large number” of terrorists, including top commanders, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said earlier.

The terror camp, situated in a thick forest area atop a hill, was led by Ustad Gauri, brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Gokhale said, making a statement before the media, hours after the air strikes using Mirage 2000 were carried out.

The air strike comes two weeks after a terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir`s Pulwama district claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel.

Pakistan-based JeM claimed the responsibility for the February 14 attack, which has been largely condemned by the international community. In fact, the United States told Pakistan to stop providing a safe haven and support to terror outfits immediately after the Pulwama assault.

"India is looking at something very strong. India just lost almost 50 people in the attack. I can understand that also," US President Donald Trump had earlier told reporters at the White House on February 22.

Pakistan has, after the Indian strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, told the United Nations' Secretary-General that the Indian Air Force (IAF) strike is equivalent to "aggression against Pakistan.

Pakistan has, after the Indian strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, told the United Nations' Secretary-General that the Indian Air Force (IAF) strike is equivalent to "aggression against Pakistan." "I am writing a letter to you in view of the deterioration of the situation. Indian jets violated the Line of Control (LoC) this morning. We had informed the UN about Indian aggression after Pulwama attack in the previous letter," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote in a letter to UN Chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday. Qureshi further outlined that the Indian strike is equivalent to aggression against Pakistan, and jeopardises peace and security in the region, reports ARY News. This comes after India conducted an anti-terror strike on a JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan`s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in the early hours of Tuesday, eliminating a “large number” of terrorists, including top commanders, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said earlier. The terror camp, situated in a thick forest area atop a hill, was led by Ustad Gauri, brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Gokhale said, making a statement before the media, hours after the air strikes using Mirage 2000 were carried out. The air strike comes two weeks after a terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir`s Pulwama district claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel. Pakistan-based JeM claimed the responsibility for the February 14 attack, which has been largely condemned by the international community. In fact, the United States told Pakistan to stop providing a safe haven and support to terror outfits immediately after the Pulwama assault. "India is looking at something very strong. India just lost almost 50 people in the attack. I can understand that also," US President Donald Trump had earlier told reporters at the White House on February 22.

IAF strike 'tantamount to aggression against Pakistan': Qureshi to UN chief

India has avenged the martyrdom of CRPF personnel in the Pulwama attack with its decisive and highly successful intelligence-led operation.

In a pre-dawn air strike, Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets flew inside the Pak territory and bombed the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot in Pakistan.

According to Vijay Gokhale, India’s Foreign Secretary, in the precise air strike that destroyed the terrorist training camp, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of JeM chief and India’s most wanted terrorist in Pakistan, Masood Azhar.

On February 14, CRPF personnel were martyred when a terrorist smashed a car-borne IED vehicle into a CRPF convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama district. JeM was quick to take responsibility for this attack.

In a major encounter the next day, security forces in Kashmir zeroed in and eliminated three terrorists, including the mastermind of this attack. In the gun battle that ensued, four army personnel were martyred.

Opposition leaders had started talking of the “timing” and were even accusing the Narendra Modi government and the ruling BJP of politicising the Pulwama attack ahead of the parliamentary election. The West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had taken the lead by launching a tirade against Modi on this count.

The scenario after Tuesday’s air strike has changed diametrically and leaders, who were briefed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at an all-party meet about the blasting of JeM terror infrastructure in Pakistan, have congratulated the IAF. The main opposition Congress party has also said that it will support security forces in their effort to finish terrorism being exported from across the border.&nbsp;

Without directly mentioning the air strike and the bombing of the JeM terror camps in Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a BJP rally at Churu in Rajasthan on Tuesday said it is a day to celebrate. He was cheered and applauded by the people when he was emphatic in assuring the citizens that the country is in safe hands.

While giving Pakistan every chance to act against terror, Prime Minister Modi has continued to handle the problem with an iron fist. Two-and-half years ago, on 18 September 2016, four heavily armed Pakistani Islamic terrorists had attacked the Uri Army camp killing 19 soldiers. Within days of this attack, India had conducted surgical strikes and demolished a number of terrorist launch pads in Pak Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Coinciding with the punitive action by India after the Uri incident, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the BJP National Council at Kozhikode in Kerala, had cautioned the people of Pakistan against their leaders saying they were reading the text prepared by those running terrorist outfits. While accepting the challenge of war, Modi had also underscored his priority stating that he would instead like the two countries to wage a war against poverty and illiteracy.

During the 33rd Session of the Human Rights Council in the second fortnight of September 2016, India had focussed global attention on Pakistan and its role in spreading terror by stating that the fundamental reason for disturbances in Kashmir is cross-border terrorism promoted by Pakistan.

Over the years, Indian soldiers were laying down their life and casualties have continued to mount in Jammu and Kashmir. Besides the Pak sponsored terror or the low-intensity war waged by Pakistan, the Kashmir valley also has been reeling under the impact of violence perpetuated by the large-scale radicalisation of the Kashmiri youth. The pattern is clear, while the terrorists operating from bases in Pakistan have been infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir to strike targets in the trouble-torn state, the separatists have been working in tandem with their ISI handlers in Pakistan to radicalise the local youth being used to attack the security forces.

As there was a spurt in violent incidents and efforts had failed to ensure steps by Mehbooba Mufti, as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to stop the radicalisation of Kashmiri youth, Governor's rule was imposed in the trouble-torn state in June 2018 following the withdrawal of support to the then Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government by the BJP.

JeM chief, Masood Azhar’s involvement in the 2001 Parliament attack, 2016 Pathankot attack, 2008 Mumbai attack and now the Pulwama attack has been established by the Indian authorities with evidence handed over to Pakistan to act appropriately in the war against terror. Masood Azhar was released by India in exchange for passengers of Indian Airlines flight 814 hijacked in December 1999.

Between 2004 and 2014, under the Congress-led UPA I and UPA II, the situation in Kashmir were allowed to drift and the proposals to strike targets inside Pakistan were swept under the carpet. The Modi-led NDA government’s decision to give a free hand to the defence forces and take direct action to demolish the terror infrastructure in Pakistan has led to an upsurge of support for Narendra Modi across India. Major countries are also on the same page with Modi when it comes to fighting terror.

India’s stand vis-a-vis war against terror has been underscored precisely by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at Beijing. In her opening remarks at the Foreign Ministers Meeting of Russia-India-China (RIC), she emphasised that Pakistan is a terror haven and went on to point out that the air strike in Pakistan was aimed against the JeM infrastructure and not against military installations. 
 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India has avenged the martyrdom of CRPF personnel in the Pulwama attack with its decisive and highly successful intelligence-led operation. In a pre-dawn air strike, Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets flew inside the Pak territory and bombed the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot in Pakistan.

India has avenged the martyrdom of CRPF personnel in the Pulwama attack with its decisive and highly successful intelligence-led operation. In a pre-dawn air strike, Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets flew inside the Pak territory and bombed the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot in Pakistan. According to Vijay Gokhale, India’s Foreign Secretary, in the precise air strike that destroyed the terrorist training camp, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of JeM chief and India’s most wanted terrorist in Pakistan, Masood Azhar. On February 14, CRPF personnel were martyred when a terrorist smashed a car-borne IED vehicle into a CRPF convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama district. JeM was quick to take responsibility for this attack. In a major encounter the next day, security forces in Kashmir zeroed in and eliminated three terrorists, including the mastermind of this attack. In the gun battle that ensued, four army personnel were martyred. Opposition leaders had started talking of the “timing” and were even accusing the Narendra Modi government and the ruling BJP of politicising the Pulwama attack ahead of the parliamentary election. The West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had taken the lead by launching a tirade against Modi on this count. The scenario after Tuesday’s air strike has changed diametrically and leaders, who were briefed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at an all-party meet about the blasting of JeM terror infrastructure in Pakistan, have congratulated the IAF. The main opposition Congress party has also said that it will support security forces in their effort to finish terrorism being exported from across the border. Without directly mentioning the air strike and the bombing of the JeM terror camps in Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a BJP rally at Churu in Rajasthan on Tuesday said it is a day to celebrate. He was cheered and applauded by the people when he was emphatic in assuring the citizens that the country is in safe hands. While giving Pakistan every chance to act against terror, Prime Minister Modi has continued to handle the problem with an iron fist. Two-and-half years ago, on 18 September 2016, four heavily armed Pakistani Islamic terrorists had attacked the Uri Army camp killing 19 soldiers. Within days of this attack, India had conducted surgical strikes and demolished a number of terrorist launch pads in Pak Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Coinciding with the punitive action by India after the Uri incident, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the BJP National Council at Kozhikode in Kerala, had cautioned the people of Pakistan against their leaders saying they were reading the text prepared by those running terrorist outfits. While accepting the challenge of war, Modi had also underscored his priority stating that he would instead like the two countries to wage a war against poverty and illiteracy. During the 33rd Session of the Human Rights Council in the second fortnight of September 2016, India had focussed global attention on Pakistan and its role in spreading terror by stating that the fundamental reason for disturbances in Kashmir is cross-border terrorism promoted by Pakistan. Over the years, Indian soldiers were laying down their life and casualties have continued to mount in Jammu and Kashmir. Besides the Pak sponsored terror or the low-intensity war waged by Pakistan, the Kashmir valley also has been reeling under the impact of violence perpetuated by the large-scale radicalisation of the Kashmiri youth. The pattern is clear, while the terrorists operating from bases in Pakistan have been infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir to strike targets in the trouble-torn state, the separatists have been working in tandem with their ISI handlers in Pakistan to radicalise the local youth being used to attack the security forces. As there was a spurt in violent incidents and efforts had failed to ensure steps by Mehbooba Mufti, as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to stop the radicalisation of Kashmiri youth, Governor's rule was imposed in the trouble-torn state in June 2018 following the withdrawal of support to the then Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government by the BJP. JeM chief, Masood Azhar’s involvement in the 2001 Parliament attack, 2016 Pathankot attack, 2008 Mumbai attack and now the Pulwama attack has been established by the Indian authorities with evidence handed over to Pakistan to act appropriately in the war against terror. Masood Azhar was released by India in exchange for passengers of Indian Airlines flight 814 hijacked in December 1999. Between 2004 and 2014, under the Congress-led UPA I and UPA II, the situation in Kashmir were allowed to drift and the proposals to strike targets inside Pakistan were swept under the carpet. The Modi-led NDA government’s decision to give a free hand to the defence forces and take direct action to demolish the terror infrastructure in Pakistan has led to an upsurge of support for Narendra Modi across India. Major countries are also on the same page with Modi when it comes to fighting terror. India’s stand vis-a-vis war against terror has been underscored precisely by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at Beijing. In her opening remarks at the Foreign Ministers Meeting of Russia-India-China (RIC), she emphasised that Pakistan is a terror haven and went on to point out that the air strike in Pakistan was aimed against the JeM infrastructure and not against military installations. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

IAF's Balakot operation against JeM is proof of Narendra Modi government's decisiveness

India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's deputy <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shot-down-one-pakistan-air-force-plane-1-mig-21-aircraft-lost-pilot-missing-in-action-india-200042">High Commissioner Syed Haider </a>Shah after Pakistan Air Force jets entered Indian airspace in Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the Indian Air Force(IAF) carried out air strikes in Balakot across the Line of Control(LoC).

India's external affairs ministry spokesman<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-fighter-planes-enter-indian-airspace-in-jk-pushed-back-by-indian-jets-199993"> Raveesh Kumar at a press conference had</a> informed earlier that an Indian Air Force MiG-21 was lost and the pilot was "missing in action".

Kumar added that Indian forces had shot down an PAF fighter jet earlier on Wednesday morning.

Sources said India was likely to share evidence of Pulwama attack.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ATO9mYlhFRw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

"Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully," Kumar &nbsp;said. Report had earlier said India had shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 fighter jet in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector.

&nbsp;

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets had conducted predawn attack on several Pakistani terror facilities across the LoC in Balakot on Tuesday.

After the attacks, on Wednesday in a televised address to the nation, Pakistan&nbsp;PM Imran Khan said: "I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's."&nbsp;

"Let's sit together and settle this with talks," he added.

Meanwhile, the US firmly asked Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil after India's counter-terrorism action against it and asked the two neighbours to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost.&nbsp;

India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah after Pakistan Air Force jets entered Indian airspace in Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the Indian Air Force(IAF) carried out air strikes in Balakot across the Line of Control(LoC).

India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah after Pakistan Air Force jets entered Indian airspace in Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the Indian Air Force(IAF) carried out air strikes in Balakot across the Line of Control(LoC). India's external affairs ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar at a press conference had informed earlier that an Indian Air Force MiG-21 was lost and the pilot was "missing in action". Kumar added that Indian forces had shot down an PAF fighter jet earlier on Wednesday morning. Sources said India was likely to share evidence of Pulwama attack. "Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully," Kumar said. Report had earlier said India had shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 fighter jet in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector. Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets had conducted predawn attack on several Pakistani terror facilities across the LoC in Balakot on Tuesday. After the attacks, on Wednesday in a televised address to the nation, Pakistan PM Imran Khan said: "I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's." "Let's sit together and settle this with talks," he added. Meanwhile, the US firmly asked Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil after India's counter-terrorism action against it and asked the two neighbours to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost.

Amid tensions at the border, India summons Pakistan deputy High Commissioner

A day after Indian Air Force carried out air strikes<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-indian-air-strike-destroys-jem-terror-camps-in-pakistan-200014"> across the Line of Control(LoC)</a>, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a televised address to the nation said that "if a war happens it won't be in my&nbsp;control nor in PM Modi's control."&nbsp;

"We had a conversation with the Army chief and we didn't take any action as we didn't know what kind of damage we had suffered," he said after Indian Air Force carried out strikes in Pakistan's Balakot in a pre-dawn attack on Monday.

After India's attack, Pakistan Air Force(PAF) aircrafts entered India's Nowshera sector on Wednesday&nbsp;morning. India's<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shot-down-one-pakistan-air-force-plane-1-mig-21-aircraft-lost-pilot-missing-in-action-india-200042"> external affairs spokesman&nbsp;Ravish Kumar</a> said Indian forces shot down one PAF plane, however, India lost one MiG-21 aircraft inside Pakistan territory while declaring the pilot "missing in action".

"It would have been irresponsible from our side if we would have taken action then, we didn't want to do any collateral damage, we just wanted to tell them we can retaliate," he said.

"It is very important to understand that all wars happened in the world were a miscalculated war. Similarly is war on terror," "Wars have always been miscalculated," he reiterated.

"Can we afford miscalculation with the kind of weapons both&nbsp;nations have," the Pakistan prime minister asked.

"I would again like to say what happened in Pulwama, if you want to talk on terrorism we are ready, this is not in Pakistan’s interest for their land to be used for terrorism," PM Imran Khan told the nation on television.

"Their was no dispute, we were ready for talks," the Pakistan prime minister added. 
&nbsp;

A day after Indian Air Force carried out air strikes across the Line of Control(LoC), Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a televised address to the nation said that "if a war happens it won't be in my control nor in PM Modi's control.

A day after Indian Air Force carried out air strikes across the Line of Control(LoC), Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a televised address to the nation said that "if a war happens it won't be in my control nor in PM Modi's control." "We had a conversation with the Army chief and we didn't take any action as we didn't know what kind of damage we had suffered," he said after Indian Air Force carried out strikes in Pakistan's Balakot in a pre-dawn attack on Monday. After India's attack, Pakistan Air Force(PAF) aircrafts entered India's Nowshera sector on Wednesday morning. India's external affairs spokesman Ravish Kumar said Indian forces shot down one PAF plane, however, India lost one MiG-21 aircraft inside Pakistan territory while declaring the pilot "missing in action". "It would have been irresponsible from our side if we would have taken action then, we didn't want to do any collateral damage, we just wanted to tell them we can retaliate," he said. "It is very important to understand that all wars happened in the world were a miscalculated war. Similarly is war on terror," "Wars have always been miscalculated," he reiterated. "Can we afford miscalculation with the kind of weapons both nations have," the Pakistan prime minister asked. "I would again like to say what happened in Pulwama, if you want to talk on terrorism we are ready, this is not in Pakistan’s interest for their land to be used for terrorism," PM Imran Khan told the nation on television. "Their was no dispute, we were ready for talks," the Pakistan prime minister added.

If India wants talks on terrorism, we are ready: Pakistan PM Imran in address to the nation

Pakistan Army confirmed that Indian <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-claims-indian-air-force-violated-loc-199740">fighter jets dropped</a> "four bombs" during an operation on Tuesday but downplayed its significance, saying the Indian attack was repulsed and while going back the aircraft "jettisoned their payload."

Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said that<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-strikes-on-terror-launchpads-meticulous-planning-led-to-successful-air-force-mission-199830"> Pakistan will "surprise" India</a> with its response that will be in all domains including "diplomatic, political and military."

"Prime Minister Imran Khan told the army and the people that get ready for any eventuality. Now it is time for India to wait for our response. We have decided. Wait for it," Ghafoor said.

His remarks came hours after India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control, early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.

Ghafoor claimed that India failed to surprise Pakistan.

"We were ready and not surprised. I said we will surprise you and wait for the surprise. (Our) response will come and it will be different."

"Our response will be in all domains including diplomatic, political and military," the General added.

He claimed that the Indian planes were in Pakistan's airspace for "just 4 minutes" and went back when challenged by the Pakistani aircraft.

Ghafoor said that Indian jets first tried to enter Lahore-Sialkot sector, while another formation of jets came close to Okara-Bahawalpur area of international border but found Pakistan air force ready and went back.

"Then a third formation was picked in Muzaffarabad sector which was heavier...It was repulsed, but while going back they jettisoned their payload and four bombs fell in Jabba, near the town of Balakot, causing no casualties or damage," he said.

He asserted that there was no strike but only the payload fell.

Ghafoor said that he was ready to take the media to the place where payload fell to show that there was no damage done, but cancelled the trip due to bad weather. He added that apart from the media, defence attaches can also go.

The spokesman also rejected the Indian claim about targeting any infrastructure and said their claim of 350 dead is also "false."

He asserted that Pakistan was ready to follow what Prime Minister Khan said that Islamabad would not think about retaliation but retaliate. "They have not attacked, so why should we retaliate immediately?" he said.

"If they had attacked at military positions, then our forces would have taken on them. But it was not their mission as they wanted provocation. Their mission was to target a civilian place in order to claim that they killed terrorists. So that they could get benefit for elections," he added.

Pakistan Army confirmed that Indian fighter jets dropped "four bombs" during an operation on Tuesday but downplayed its significance, saying the Indian attack was repulsed and while going back the aircraft "jettisoned their payload.

Pakistan Army confirmed that Indian fighter jets dropped "four bombs" during an operation on Tuesday but downplayed its significance, saying the Indian attack was repulsed and while going back the aircraft "jettisoned their payload." Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said that Pakistan will "surprise" India with its response that will be in all domains including "diplomatic, political and military." "Prime Minister Imran Khan told the army and the people that get ready for any eventuality. Now it is time for India to wait for our response. We have decided. Wait for it," Ghafoor said. His remarks came hours after India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control, early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. Ghafoor claimed that India failed to surprise Pakistan. "We were ready and not surprised. I said we will surprise you and wait for the surprise. (Our) response will come and it will be different." "Our response will be in all domains including diplomatic, political and military," the General added. He claimed that the Indian planes were in Pakistan's airspace for "just 4 minutes" and went back when challenged by the Pakistani aircraft. Ghafoor said that Indian jets first tried to enter Lahore-Sialkot sector, while another formation of jets came close to Okara-Bahawalpur area of international border but found Pakistan air force ready and went back. "Then a third formation was picked in Muzaffarabad sector which was heavier...It was repulsed, but while going back they jettisoned their payload and four bombs fell in Jabba, near the town of Balakot, causing no casualties or damage," he said. He asserted that there was no strike but only the payload fell. Ghafoor said that he was ready to take the media to the place where payload fell to show that there was no damage done, but cancelled the trip due to bad weather. He added that apart from the media, defence attaches can also go. The spokesman also rejected the Indian claim about targeting any infrastructure and said their claim of 350 dead is also "false." He asserted that Pakistan was ready to follow what Prime Minister Khan said that Islamabad would not think about retaliation but retaliate. "They have not attacked, so why should we retaliate immediately?" he said. "If they had attacked at military positions, then our forces would have taken on them. But it was not their mission as they wanted provocation. Their mission was to target a civilian place in order to claim that they killed terrorists. So that they could get benefit for elections," he added.

Four bombs fell in Jabba, near Balakot: Pak Army spokesman Ghafoor

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and IAF Chief BS Dhanoa worked throughout the intervening night of February 25 to the early morning hours of February 26 monitoring final stage operations that carried out aerial strikes inside Pakistani territory of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"The NSA and the IAF Chief were awake throughout the night and into the next day as they were monitoring the entire movement of Mirage fighter aircraft which had to go inside Pakistan along with the Sukhoi 30s operating from Halwara and Bareilly air bases sitting inside the Air Force war room inside the Air Headquarters," government sources told ANI.

In response to the terror attack in Pulwama twelve days ago that killed 40 CRPF soldiers, top decision makers in the Government green lit an air operation to conduct aerial strikes on Pakistan Army supported terrorist camps, particularly that of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot deep inside Pakistani territory in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region which was teaming with top operatives of the terror organisation along with scores of suicide bombers, trainers and other support staff, the sources added.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/how-indian-air-force-carried-out-air-strikes-on-terror-pads-across-loc-199784">In pics: How Indian Air Force carried out air strikes on terror pads across LoC</a>

Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal Amit Dev and his team played a significant role in the success of these attacks which were conducted from IAF war room in the Air Headquarters, sources said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/first-pics-of-jem-terror-camp-destroyed-by-indian-air-force-199823">In pics: First pics of JeM terror camp destroyed by Indian Air Force</a>

The IAF had carried out a similar strike against the Pakistani positions in the Kel sector on the LoC in 2002.

Once the formation of 12 Mirage aircraft took off from their respective locations in Agra and Gwalior, another support formation of Sukhoi fighter jets took to the air to defend Indian air space if the need arose.

AWAC (Advanced warning and control system) aircrafts led by the indigenous Netra jets played a significant role as well with their radars pinpointing position and activity of Pakistani fighter aircraft on all their bases and gave a go-ahead to the Indian planes to get a window to penetrate inside Pakistani air space.

Mid-air-fuel tankers Ilyushin 78s were also in the air to provide support services to Indian fighter jets on their mission.

Pakistani Airforce F16s were scrambled to respond to the Indian incursion, however, gauging the formation of the Indian jets and outnumbered, the Jets beat a hasty retreat thereby giving Indian jets an opportunity to destroy their intended targets.

After the planes returned from Pakistan, the Indian air defence systems were on high alert and scanning Pakistani aircraft for any reaction.

The first Pakistani reaction came in from the western sector in Gujarat when a UAV of the Pakistan Air Force entered Kutch which was promptly shot down by the Israeli made SPYDER Missile defence system which fired a well-aimed 'Derby' missile to blow the PAF drone out of the sky.

The Navy had also halted its exercise TROPEX on the western seaboard and sent its warships on forwarding patrol in posturing towards Pakistan Navy, thereby further confusing the chain of command in the Pakistani establishment.

The Indian Army has been placed on high alert and an attack by Pakistan in the form of BAT actions could be considered an imminent threat.

Top sources in the government have termed the aerial strikes as one of the most successful coordinated operations as the targets were identified and selected by intelligence agencies while the three forces coordinated very well with them to strike the enemy.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and IAF Chief BS Dhanoa worked throughout the intervening night of February 25 to the early morning hours of February 26 monitoring final stage operations that carried out aerial strikes inside Pakistani territory of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and IAF Chief BS Dhanoa worked throughout the intervening night of February 25 to the early morning hours of February 26 monitoring final stage operations that carried out aerial strikes inside Pakistani territory of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "The NSA and the IAF Chief were awake throughout the night and into the next day as they were monitoring the entire movement of Mirage fighter aircraft which had to go inside Pakistan along with the Sukhoi 30s operating from Halwara and Bareilly air bases sitting inside the Air Force war room inside the Air Headquarters," government sources told ANI. In response to the terror attack in Pulwama twelve days ago that killed 40 CRPF soldiers, top decision makers in the Government green lit an air operation to conduct aerial strikes on Pakistan Army supported terrorist camps, particularly that of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot deep inside Pakistani territory in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region which was teaming with top operatives of the terror organisation along with scores of suicide bombers, trainers and other support staff, the sources added. In pics: How Indian Air Force carried out air strikes on terror pads across LoC Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal Amit Dev and his team played a significant role in the success of these attacks which were conducted from IAF war room in the Air Headquarters, sources said. In pics: First pics of JeM terror camp destroyed by Indian Air Force The IAF had carried out a similar strike against the Pakistani positions in the Kel sector on the LoC in 2002. Once the formation of 12 Mirage aircraft took off from their respective locations in Agra and Gwalior, another support formation of Sukhoi fighter jets took to the air to defend Indian air space if the need arose. AWAC (Advanced warning and control system) aircrafts led by the indigenous Netra jets played a significant role as well with their radars pinpointing position and activity of Pakistani fighter aircraft on all their bases and gave a go-ahead to the Indian planes to get a window to penetrate inside Pakistani air space. Mid-air-fuel tankers Ilyushin 78s were also in the air to provide support services to Indian fighter jets on their mission. Pakistani Airforce F16s were scrambled to respond to the Indian incursion, however, gauging the formation of the Indian jets and outnumbered, the Jets beat a hasty retreat thereby giving Indian jets an opportunity to destroy their intended targets. After the planes returned from Pakistan, the Indian air defence systems were on high alert and scanning Pakistani aircraft for any reaction. The first Pakistani reaction came in from the western sector in Gujarat when a UAV of the Pakistan Air Force entered Kutch which was promptly shot down by the Israeli made SPYDER Missile defence system which fired a well-aimed 'Derby' missile to blow the PAF drone out of the sky. The Navy had also halted its exercise TROPEX on the western seaboard and sent its warships on forwarding patrol in posturing towards Pakistan Navy, thereby further confusing the chain of command in the Pakistani establishment. The Indian Army has been placed on high alert and an attack by Pakistan in the form of BAT actions could be considered an imminent threat. Top sources in the government have termed the aerial strikes as one of the most successful coordinated operations as the targets were identified and selected by intelligence agencies while the three forces coordinated very well with them to strike the enemy.

Blow-by-blow account: How Mirage 2000 jets destroyed targets inside Pakistan

Kargil to Balakot: When Mirage 2000 pounded Pak positions

Having played cricket for long, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan knows that delivery is called out for a no-ball only when he crosses the crease at the bowler's end in a certain manner as per the rules of the game. The 'Surgical Strike 2.0' launched in the early hours of this Tuesday are such that an international umpire cannot easily raise his hand horizontally and cry out a 'No', because the territory into which a dozen Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets flew into is arguably blessed by international diplomatic procedures.

The strike on Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistani territory is controversial no doubt, but it appears that India has a case for hot-pursuit as an extension of its defence of Kashmir, including the portion that India describes as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The details of PoK are often not discussed because most of the attention is usually on the Indian side, thanks to terror attacks and political turmoil. Last week, when Khan went on his country's national television to ask for proof after the Pulwama attack that killed dozens of Central Reserve Police Force soldiers and assert that his nation would retaliate if India attacked Pakistan, he was bowling what in his own paceman's terminology would qualify as an in-swinger from outside the off stump.&nbsp;

Islamabad has long played on the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory to score diplomatic points, and India has traditionally been low-key because it has never felt the need to prove anything by raising that point.

What is often lost in this strange mix of noise and studied silence is that the Pakistani side of Kashmir is as disputed by India as the Indian side of the LoC (Line of Control) is challenged by Pakistan.

Now, what happens when - as it did in Pulwama - a Kashmiri youth launches a suicide bomb attack with a big pile of deadly RDX? We all know that without the support of explicitly Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, he could not have brought in that kind of ammunition. We know that such support in terms of logistics and resources cannot be marshalled without institutional support from a body like the Pakistan Army or its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).&nbsp;

Yet, given the fact that it was a Kashmiri who fronted the attack, in diplomatic terms, Islamabad would use that card to claim in international forums that the attack was part of an autonomous struggle of Kashmiris for self-determination (conveniently forgetting that such a logic can also apply to Balochistan in Pakistan). Pakistan's ISI-backed attacks typically come from outside India but move in through the disputed territory - making it a diplomatic in-swinger, as it were.

What has happened this Tuesday is an Indian googly to counter Imran's in-swinger. JeM has been operating out of Bahawalpur in Pakistani Punjab - in a proven manner. If India crosses through to Balakot past the LoC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the follow-through from PoK, as it has, you could say the response is symmetrical. Also, it is pertinent to remember that US Navy Seals attacked Abbottabad well inside Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden of al Qaeda. There is therefore not much that Washington can say or do as India can always cite that as a precedent.

There is no doubt that this week's action is pre-emptive, visible, more daring and more open than the 'Surgical Strike 1.0' that took place after the Uri attack in 2016. In diplomatic terms, this means that just like the Pulwama attack, this is happening broadly as an extension of a disputed region in addition to the fact that it is dealing with terrorism and not a conventional army attack.

There is a shrewd move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in this. You could call it a calculated risk. However, statements from President Donald Trump and support from 48 countries including Germany have clearly signalled support for India to defend its territory and strike against terror.

While glib parallels may be drawn between Israeli attacks on Palestinian territory and India's surgical strikes, it is important to understand that in India's case, there is a much higher legitimacy in international diplomatic terms. It is not surprising therefore that BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy has been quick to claim that "we bombed our own territory."&nbsp;

Ordinary Indians do not know some facts on Kashmir, such as how India "returned" to Pakistan the Haji Pir Pass after their war over the region in 1965. The return is a controversial one for obvious reasons as India's soldiers had captured the pass after a valiant battle to check one of the vital hubs of militant infiltration into Indian territory. Under talks held between Pakistani leaders and then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in January 1966 at Tashkent (just before his sudden and mysterious death), India returned the Haji Pir pass to Pakistan for what military analysts say is a strategic reason, to make the Jammu region safer.

The decision remains controversial as India did not take the pass again in 1971, but the give-and-take pursued by India then gives it a diplomatic lever to show how it did not shy away from talks, except under the shadow of terror.

Events in the 1980s and 1990s, when the territorial war between two armies became restated as a proxy war by Pakistan under military dictator Zia ul-Haq, have totally changed the complexion of the relations between two countries as conventional diplomacy as well as conventional war have less meaning where "non-state" actors like Jaish-e-Mohammed and their movement across the porous LoC are involved.

For India, the military googly bowled on Tuesday remains a calculated risk as Imran Khan is unlikely to take it silently. But this much can be said: in international law and convention, India has a stronger case than some critics think.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/balakot-airstrike-is-indias-googly-response-to-imran-khans-in-swinger-2183673.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Having played cricket for long, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan knows that delivery is called out for a no-ball only when he crosses the crease at the bowler's end in a certain manner as per the rules of the game.

Having played cricket for long, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan knows that delivery is called out for a no-ball only when he crosses the crease at the bowler's end in a certain manner as per the rules of the game. The 'Surgical Strike 2.0' launched in the early hours of this Tuesday are such that an international umpire cannot easily raise his hand horizontally and cry out a 'No', because the territory into which a dozen Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets flew into is arguably blessed by international diplomatic procedures. The strike on Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistani territory is controversial no doubt, but it appears that India has a case for hot-pursuit as an extension of its defence of Kashmir, including the portion that India describes as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The details of PoK are often not discussed because most of the attention is usually on the Indian side, thanks to terror attacks and political turmoil. Last week, when Khan went on his country's national television to ask for proof after the Pulwama attack that killed dozens of Central Reserve Police Force soldiers and assert that his nation would retaliate if India attacked Pakistan, he was bowling what in his own paceman's terminology would qualify as an in-swinger from outside the off stump. Islamabad has long played on the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory to score diplomatic points, and India has traditionally been low-key because it has never felt the need to prove anything by raising that point. What is often lost in this strange mix of noise and studied silence is that the Pakistani side of Kashmir is as disputed by India as the Indian side of the LoC (Line of Control) is challenged by Pakistan. Now, what happens when - as it did in Pulwama - a Kashmiri youth launches a suicide bomb attack with a big pile of deadly RDX? We all know that without the support of explicitly Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, he could not have brought in that kind of ammunition. We know that such support in terms of logistics and resources cannot be marshalled without institutional support from a body like the Pakistan Army or its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Yet, given the fact that it was a Kashmiri who fronted the attack, in diplomatic terms, Islamabad would use that card to claim in international forums that the attack was part of an autonomous struggle of Kashmiris for self-determination (conveniently forgetting that such a logic can also apply to Balochistan in Pakistan). Pakistan's ISI-backed attacks typically come from outside India but move in through the disputed territory - making it a diplomatic in-swinger, as it were. What has happened this Tuesday is an Indian googly to counter Imran's in-swinger. JeM has been operating out of Bahawalpur in Pakistani Punjab - in a proven manner. If India crosses through to Balakot past the LoC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the follow-through from PoK, as it has, you could say the response is symmetrical. Also, it is pertinent to remember that US Navy Seals attacked Abbottabad well inside Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden of al Qaeda. There is therefore not much that Washington can say or do as India can always cite that as a precedent. There is no doubt that this week's action is pre-emptive, visible, more daring and more open than the 'Surgical Strike 1.0' that took place after the Uri attack in 2016. In diplomatic terms, this means that just like the Pulwama attack, this is happening broadly as an extension of a disputed region in addition to the fact that it is dealing with terrorism and not a conventional army attack. There is a shrewd move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in this. You could call it a calculated risk. However, statements from President Donald Trump and support from 48 countries including Germany have clearly signalled support for India to defend its territory and strike against terror. While glib parallels may be drawn between Israeli attacks on Palestinian territory and India's surgical strikes, it is important to understand that in India's case, there is a much higher legitimacy in international diplomatic terms. It is not surprising therefore that BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy has been quick to claim that "we bombed our own territory." Ordinary Indians do not know some facts on Kashmir, such as how India "returned" to Pakistan the Haji Pir Pass after their war over the region in 1965. The return is a controversial one for obvious reasons as India's soldiers had captured the pass after a valiant battle to check one of the vital hubs of militant infiltration into Indian territory. Under talks held between Pakistani leaders and then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in January 1966 at Tashkent (just before his sudden and mysterious death), India returned the Haji Pir pass to Pakistan for what military analysts say is a strategic reason, to make the Jammu region safer. The decision remains controversial as India did not take the pass again in 1971, but the give-and-take pursued by India then gives it a diplomatic lever to show how it did not shy away from talks, except under the shadow of terror. Events in the 1980s and 1990s, when the territorial war between two armies became restated as a proxy war by Pakistan under military dictator Zia ul-Haq, have totally changed the complexion of the relations between two countries as conventional diplomacy as well as conventional war have less meaning where "non-state" actors like Jaish-e-Mohammed and their movement across the porous LoC are involved. For India, the military googly bowled on Tuesday remains a calculated risk as Imran Khan is unlikely to take it silently. But this much can be said: in international law and convention, India has a stronger case than some critics think. (This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Balakot air strike is India's googly response to Imran Khan's in-swinger

balakot

Balakot, News on Balakot, stories on Balakot, articles on Balakot, Balakot stories at Wion, Balakot news, Balakot latest news