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 misadventureâ€.
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.
To Meengla:
Zardari has handeled the whole thing brilliantly. This shows what politicians and democracies are capable of . I still remember the senless chest thumping of Musharraf and in the end the hand shake with Vajpai. He behaved just as he is a teenager invloved in a street fight, nothing more. This is the difference between politicians and dictators. God bless all the people who worked so hard and specially those who lost their lives ( mostly PPP workers and one leader) to bring back the civilians in Pakistan.
What worries me most is the talk of using Nukes on both sides on the media as if they are some crackers. Especially this guy Dr. Samar Mubarik mand always suggests that the smaller country has to use the Nuke to defend itself. How stupid one can get. There are no winners in a nuclear war and there is no country to defend after nuclear war. I think anyone who has the slightest amount of love for their OWN cities can not think of nuclear option.
I care for the soverignity of my country a lot but even if we are over run by indians in a conventional war, we must not use nuclear weapons. What will the indians do here anyway? What did US achieve in Iraq or Afghanistan? This is not the age where one country can hope to occupy the other, specially a country as big as Pakistan. If we are occupied , we will fight till we are liberated. But after the use of Nukes there is no tomorrow.
That is why I advocate that we must not include the nukes in our defence policy and it is in our utmost interest to declare a no first strike policy ( I would rather like a voluntary give up of the Nukes , but that is too unrealistic to wish for). And at the same time confront and shun mentally malfunctioning people like Zaid Hamid.
I think pakistan had been too apologetic to india from the onset and india is taking it as our weakness.
i’dont know what the govt plans but if the war is imposed on us Pakistan will fight tooth and nail for its sovereignty.
aay watan tujh pe agar jaan ho nisar
mein yeah smajhon ga thikanay laga sarmaya-e-tan
ee watan piyaray watan
pak watan pak watan
e meray piyare watan
Sridhar, yes i’ve also read the news where India’s officials are denying that any such incursion took place. I would take this in positive spirit that leadership of both countries don’t want to escalate this incident into a full-fledge confrontation.
DL. I agree with your comment. and i do want to add that you will find lot of people on both sides who want to give peace a chance and who would always prefer diplomacy over confrontation or brinkman ship.
At a time when Pakistan is facing much international pressure to curb “non-state actors” who are formenting terrorism abroad, and with the Indian Air Force violating Pakistani airspace, the Pakistani nation needs unity.
Having said that, I was shocked to read this article, about the death of Maj. Gen Alavi.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5337881.ece
Thoughts? The article seems to suggest that senior army personnel were involved with the murder of their former colleague. If it’s true, you really have to wonder what our army is up to…