After four years, Islamabad is still living in the fear that another Indian surgical strike is about to take place.

Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi couldn't stop himself from voicing it during his ongoing tour to the UAE.

Qureshi at a press conference said: "I have learnt through our intelligence sources, they have picked up this information that India is planning a surgical strike against Pakistan. This is a serious development and I also have knowledge that they have tried to seek approval from important players who they consider to be their partners."

Indian Army chief General MM Naravane had travelled to Saudi Arabia and the UAE earlier this month.

Qureshi met UAE's foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan on Thursday and the Pakistan foreign minister discussed Kashmir during the meeting. Reports say Qureshi once again peddled lies about human rights in Kashmir.

The Emirates has halted the issuance of new visas to Pak citizens over security concerns which is a massive setback for Pakistan's struggling economy since foreign remittances from expats in the UAE are life-savers for Islamabad.

The Sheikhdom has cut Pakistan's lifeline and the visa issue is yet to be resolved.

Meanwhile back in Pakistan, Imran Khan is now cracking down on the Pashtuns. The Peshawar police have arrested Muhammad Ali Wazir and several other leaders of the "Pashtun Tahafuz movement". They have been accused of severe criminal offence making derogatory statements against the Pakistan government.

After four years, Islamabad is still living in the fear that another Indian surgical strike is about to take place. Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi couldn't stop himself from voicing it during his ongoing tour to the UAE.

After four years, Islamabad is still living in the fear that another Indian surgical strike is about to take place. Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi couldn't stop himself from voicing it during his ongoing tour to the UAE. Qureshi at a press conference said: "I have learnt through our intelligence sources, they have picked up this information that India is planning a surgical strike against Pakistan. This is a serious development and I also have knowledge that they have tried to seek approval from important players who they consider to be their partners." Indian Army chief General MM Naravane had travelled to Saudi Arabia and the UAE earlier this month. Qureshi met UAE's foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan on Thursday and the Pakistan foreign minister discussed Kashmir during the meeting. Reports say Qureshi once again peddled lies about human rights in Kashmir. The Emirates has halted the issuance of new visas to Pak citizens over security concerns which is a massive setback for Pakistan's struggling economy since foreign remittances from expats in the UAE are life-savers for Islamabad. The Sheikhdom has cut Pakistan's lifeline and the visa issue is yet to be resolved. Meanwhile back in Pakistan, Imran Khan is now cracking down on the Pashtuns. The Peshawar police have arrested Muhammad Ali Wazir and several other leaders of the "Pashtun Tahafuz movement". They have been accused of severe criminal offence making derogatory statements against the Pakistan government.

India planning surgical strike against Pakistan, says foreign minister Qureshi

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

Surgical strikes were over-hyped: Lt Gen (retd) DS Hooda

In June 2015, Indian Special Forces, evidently, conducted a cross-border raid in Myanmar against hideouts of insurgent groups operating in the North East states, neutralizing over 50 terrorists. This was in retaliation against the ambush on a military column which resulted in 18 soldiers being martyred earlier that month. The action reflected a more pro-active policy on the part of the Indian government. It had then been welcomed by Union Minister of State, Rajyavardhan Rathore, and several of his colleagues. They went so far as to suggest it was a message that neighbours who harbour terrorists would do well to heed.&nbsp;

The Pakistan military and political establishment had then belligerently responded; the country&rsquo;s Interior Minister, Nisar Ali Khan, unequivocally warned against any such misadventure, stating that &ldquo;Pakistan is not Myanmar and India should not think of repeating such an exercise within Pakistani territory.&rdquo;

Given Pakistan&rsquo;s unadulterated support for terror groups and their efforts at fanning separatist flames in the Kashmir Valley, it was only a matter of time before some serious enough provocation forced the Modi Government to explore more robust solutions. Pakistan engineered the Uri incident and also, possibly, timed it with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s appearance at the United Nation General Assembly. However, it is unlikely that Pakistan wanted the incident to be seen as anything other than a showpiece of reactions by locals against gross human rights violations committed by Indian security forces.&nbsp;

Unfortunately, the unexpectedly large number of casualties had upset all calculations. Though Pakistan continued to stick with its narrative, the event forced the Modi Government to act so as not to lose all credibility. Despite Narendra Modi&#39;s earlier rhetoric against the UPA government&rsquo;s lackadaisical response to Pakistan in face of terror attacks in the past, the prime minister must be complimented for resisting pressure and not indulging in a purely knee-jerk reaction, which is devoid of substance.

The targeted cross-border raids which were conducted on Wednesday night by elements from two of our Parachute (Special Forces) battalions, reportedly against seven terror launch pads within 2-3 km from the LoC in Pakistan Occupied territory in the Valley and the Rajouri-Poonch Sector was, therefore, not unexpected. Much has already been written about these raids, most in the realm of speculation, to bear repetition.&nbsp;

Despite Pakistan&rsquo;s denials, it is no longer in doubt that these raids happened, and militants along with some Pakistan army personnel were killed. Contrary to popular perceptions, it suffices to say that the Indian army has had a robust special operations capability since independence that has been used on several occasions, even abroad.&nbsp;

One may recall their employment in Sierra Leone when our Parachute (Special Forces) elements led rescue operations to free our troops held hostage while serving on a UN Mission. Therefore, it can be clearly stated that despite the hoopla, this was a routine task for which they have been trained over the years. Having said that, such high-risk missions are always fraught with danger and success is never guaranteed.

What has been different in this case is the political will displayed by the Indian government, not just in the matter of permitting the military to conduct these high-value raids, but also the preparation that has gone into organising them and the media blitz that has followed. Its selection of targets was clearly restricted to so-called &ldquo;non-state actors&rdquo; and not the military and the operation took place in territory that India claims is illegally occupied by Pakistan.&nbsp;

By stating that this show of force was a preemptive defensive action against terrorists preparing to infiltrate, the government is clearly suggesting it was not keen to escalate the situation further. The coordination and assistance provided by the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) and the Research and Analysis Wing(R&amp;AW) in providing real-time intelligence on the chosen targets have been unprecedented. These factors have played a major role in the successful completion of the attack.

Most importantly, despite its stated objective of not wanting to escalate the situation further, the government has taken precautions by evacuating villages along the international border in Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. This clearly indicates its willingness to hang tough and, if required, up the ante and launch a counter-strike in the event Pakistan decides to respond. The government may even be signaling that in the case of escalation, it would be willing to put in motion the military&rsquo;s Cold Start Doctrine that envisages capture of territory in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan.

So where does all this leave Pakistan?&nbsp; For one thing, it suggests that Pakistan&rsquo;s policy of nuclear blackmail and threats to deal with any Indian provocation by using tactical nuclear weapons appears to have run its course. As does it&#39;s untrammeled and open support for militants working in tandem with the army. With the use of terror as state policy over the past few decades, Pakistan finds itself isolated on this issue by large sections of the international community. Thus, any escalation on its part is unlikely to be viewed kindly and can only make matters more difficult for it.&nbsp;

Despite Pakistan&#39;s efforts to suggest that the strikes are a figment of the Indian imagination, the credibility of its own denials have been greatly damaged, given the different voices emanating from the military and political establishment. There is a distinct possibility that public opinion may force Nawaz Sharief&rsquo;s hand, in which case he may find himself between a rock and a hard place. The next few weeks will reveal whether this subcontinent finds itself plunged into another futile war or focuses on the more pressing challenges of countering endemic poverty and hunger that haunt both the nations.

Given Pakistan?s unadulterated support for terror groups, it was only a matter of time before the Indian government took to robust solutions

In June 2015, Indian Special Forces, evidently, conducted a cross-border raid in Myanmar against hideouts of insurgent groups operating in the North East states, neutralizing over 50 terrorists. This was in retaliation against the ambush on a military column which resulted in 18 soldiers being martyred earlier that month. The action reflected a more pro-active policy on the part of the Indian government. It had then been welcomed by Union Minister of State, Rajyavardhan Rathore, and several of his colleagues. They went so far as to suggest it was a message that neighbours who harbour terrorists would do well to heed. The Pakistan military and political establishment had then belligerently responded; the country’s Interior Minister, Nisar Ali Khan, unequivocally warned against any such misadventure, stating that “Pakistan is not Myanmar and India should not think of repeating such an exercise within Pakistani territory.” Given Pakistan’s unadulterated support for terror groups and their efforts at fanning separatist flames in the Kashmir Valley, it was only a matter of time before some serious enough provocation forced the Modi Government to explore more robust solutions. Pakistan engineered the Uri incident and also, possibly, timed it with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s appearance at the United Nation General Assembly. However, it is unlikely that Pakistan wanted the incident to be seen as anything other than a showpiece of reactions by locals against gross human rights violations committed by Indian security forces. Unfortunately, the unexpectedly large number of casualties had upset all calculations. Though Pakistan continued to stick with its narrative, the event forced the Modi Government to act so as not to lose all credibility. Despite Narendra Modi's earlier rhetoric against the UPA government’s lackadaisical response to Pakistan in face of terror attacks in the past, the prime minister must be complimented for resisting pressure and not indulging in a purely knee-jerk reaction, which is devoid of substance. The targeted cross-border raids which were conducted on Wednesday night by elements from two of our Parachute (Special Forces) battalions, reportedly against seven terror launch pads within 2-3 km from the LoC in Pakistan Occupied territory in the Valley and the Rajouri-Poonch Sector was, therefore, not unexpected. Much has already been written about these raids, most in the realm of speculation, to bear repetition. Despite Pakistan’s denials, it is no longer in doubt that these raids happened, and militants along with some Pakistan army personnel were killed. Contrary to popular perceptions, it suffices to say that the Indian army has had a robust special operations capability since independence that has been used on several occasions, even abroad. One may recall their employment in Sierra Leone when our Parachute (Special Forces) elements led rescue operations to free our troops held hostage while serving on a UN Mission. Therefore, it can be clearly stated that despite the hoopla, this was a routine task for which they have been trained over the years. Having said that, such high-risk missions are always fraught with danger and success is never guaranteed. What has been different in this case is the political will displayed by the Indian government, not just in the matter of permitting the military to conduct these high-value raids, but also the preparation that has gone into organising them and the media blitz that has followed. Its selection of targets was clearly restricted to so-called “non-state actors” and not the military and the operation took place in territory that India claims is illegally occupied by Pakistan. By stating that this show of force was a preemptive defensive action against terrorists preparing to infiltrate, the government is clearly suggesting it was not keen to escalate the situation further. The coordination and assistance provided by the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) and the Research and Analysis Wing(R&AW) in providing real-time intelligence on the chosen targets have been unprecedented. These factors have played a major role in the successful completion of the attack. Most importantly, despite its stated objective of not wanting to escalate the situation further, the government has taken precautions by evacuating villages along the international border in Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. This clearly indicates its willingness to hang tough and, if required, up the ante and launch a counter-strike in the event Pakistan decides to respond. The government may even be signaling that in the case of escalation, it would be willing to put in motion the military’s Cold Start Doctrine that envisages capture of territory in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan. So where does all this leave Pakistan? For one thing, it suggests that Pakistan’s policy of nuclear blackmail and threats to deal with any Indian provocation by using tactical nuclear weapons appears to have run its course. As does it's untrammeled and open support for militants working in tandem with the army. With the use of terror as state policy over the past few decades, Pakistan finds itself isolated on this issue by large sections of the international community. Thus, any escalation on its part is unlikely to be viewed kindly and can only make matters more difficult for it. Despite Pakistan's efforts to suggest that the strikes are a figment of the Indian imagination, the credibility of its own denials have been greatly damaged, given the different voices emanating from the military and political establishment. There is a distinct possibility that public opinion may force Nawaz Sharief’s hand, in which case he may find himself between a rock and a hard place. The next few weeks will reveal whether this subcontinent finds itself plunged into another futile war or focuses on the more pressing challenges of countering endemic poverty and hunger that haunt both the nations.

The Uri aftermath: A game of snakes and ladders