There are multiple lessons to be drawn from Operation Swift Retort by the Pakistan Air Force, India’s violation of Pakistan’s airspace, and stated reasons behind that violation. For this, the turn of events and facts on the ground must be reiterated and kept in mind. There was an IED blast in Pulwama which comes under Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), resulting in the death of 44 Indian military soldiers. Now, there is a pattern from across the border where any such incident is automatically attributed, without evidence, to terrorist groups operating from Pakistan. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and what was to happen next was very clear for those who have followed India’s state behaviour, particularly since the BJP took the reins. A hyper-nationalist and religiously indoctrinated political party that borders on fascism and xenophobia would take some ‘punitive’ measure and use the incident as an electoral card since Indian general elections were to be held that year.
India chose to act unilaterally and as an aggressor state, starting with rhetoric and statements. The Prime Minister, Modi, himself without conducting any investigation, said, “If our neighbour [Pakistan], which is totally isolated in the world and thinks it can destabilize India through its tactics and conspiracies, then it is making a huge mistake.” One can sense an element of premeditation and predictability in the sequence of events, keeping in mind the general elections. India, unsurprisingly, took aggressive military action on the 26th of February 2019 by violating the line of control (LoC) from the Muzaffarabad sector in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. However, Pakistan’s response to that military aggression, in the time before and after it (when serious escalation was only a breath away) carried not only elements of surprise for the BJP and Modi’s India but also some serious lessons on a regional and global level.
Response leading to Operation Swift Retort.
Voices from Pakistan’s eastern border were mimicking war hysteria, from government representatives and politicians, after the Pulwama IED blast. However, the response from Pakistan’s political and military leadership was the embodiment of a responsible state that wishes and knows how to act according to international norms and rules, inclusive of the inalienable right of self defence against military aggression through violation of borders borders.
First, Indian Airforce jets that crossed the LoC were engaged and their offensive was countered by the immediate scrambling of Pakistan Airforce jets; it forced the violating jets to rush back and drop their payloads off target as there were no supposed terrorist camps where it landed in Balakot. Second, the Pakistan Air Force responded with Operation Swift Retort where the desired targets were locked on to but the payloads deliberately dropped away from them targets in order to avoid human loss, as it was a message of capacity and capability in response to airspace violations by India. It also showcased the desire and willingness to act with sensibility and restraint.
This was further solidified with the treatment and final decision regarding the downed Mig pilot, Abhinandan, whose jet was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force when Indian jets tried to engage and crossed into Pakistan airspace. Pakistan’s Prime Minister announced the decision to release Abhinandan as a gesture of peace to be taken as a step in the right direction towards the diplomatic engagement and peaceful settlement of issues that persist between India and Pakistan. Unfortunately, though, and as the lessons below will touch upon, India refused to take it as such and continued its unilateral and aggressive state tendencies which have formed into an identifiable and predictable pattern.
Lessons drawn
In light of the events, actions, and reactions that transpired in February of 2019 as well as the perceptions and beliefs surrounding India and Pakistan, there are some important lessons to be drawn for both the regional and global players.
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Faraz I will only say KEEP IT UP.
Plz write something on 1971 also wherein Pak surrendered 93,000 personnel. Utter Shame.
Ha ha ha That did hurt someone.:), Truth Hurts. No one knows the truth of 1971 but we sure know what happened here.