Indian Planes in Pakistani Airspace: Pressure Tactics?

Owais Mughal

I hope that sanity returns soon to the sub-continent and hawkish talk (and now action) of war mongering does not get out of hand. It is all too easy for things to escalate. It is never easy for them to be brought back into control once they have done so.

In what seems to be a case of military provocation and pressure tactics against Pakistan, Indian planes violated Pakistani airspace yesterday. Even though the violations have been officially termed as ‘inadvertent’, two border violations on the same day are a little too much. It will be interesting to see whether international community says anything against these violations or remains silent spectator.

According to latest Dawn update:

ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: Indian planes violated Pakistan’s airspace on Saturday, but fighters of the Pakistan Air Force chased them away, military as well as civilian officials confirmed late in the night.

Air Commodre Humayun Viqar Zephyr, a PAF spokesman, told Dawn that the Indian planes intruded into Pakistan’s airspace in Azad Kashmir and Lahore sectors, but left as soon as they sighted the PAF jets.

He said there was no cause for concern as the PAF was “fully alive to the situation and capable of giving a befitting reply in case of a misadventure”.

Official sources said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani were immediately informed about the incident and the matter was taken up with the Indian authorities.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman confirmed that Islamabad had got in touch with authorities in New Delhi, implicitly conceding that the violation did take place. But she hastened to add that Indians had done it inadvertently

From Pakistani side, I am heartened to read the messages of unity where both Government and opposition leaders have put aside their petty differences and unequivocally condemned this act of aggression.

Lets see what effects such violations will have. Will Pakistan now move its armed forces towards Indian border leaving the western border less guarded? With the Pakistani border on both the West and the East being violated routinely, something will have to give? But what? Who will win in such situation? How will such acts effect the democratic government in Pakistan?

Will good sense prevail and will diplomacy prevail over aggression? I certainly hope it does.