LINE OF CONTROL: Unlike the Indians, the Pakistan Army on Saturday came up with solid proof and evidence to counter the Modi-led Indian government’s claim of a so-called surgical strike inside Pakistan’s territory.
The army took the international and national media to the Line of Control (LoC) to expose India’s propaganda. The media was allowed to visit the military’s checkposts and interact with the local population, who categorically denied presence of Indian boots on Pakistani soil. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Asim Bajwa made it clear that any adventurism would cost India heavily.
Media teams were taken to both Bhimber and Hotspring areas on the LoC where India claimed to have conducted the first-ever surgical strike.
The media teams did not find any clue of India’s intrusion into Pakistani side.
General Officer Commander Major General Chiragh Haider and Brigadier Furqan Moazzam briefed the media on the situation in Bhimber sector as well as Pakistani and Indian checkposts situated on the LoC.
The journalists were given a full picture of the geographical and physical location at the Boxor Formation by Brigadier Furqan Moazam. The entire scenario was drawn to make them understand that how the Indian forces had carried out unprovoked firing.
At the foothills of Boxor Formation, two villages of about 130,000 inhabitants are situated, whose residents had no clue about any intrusion by Indian troops. They confirmed that only crossfire had taken place on the particular night and nothing else.
Speaking on the occasion, ISPR DG Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said the media should judge itself whether Indian helicopter had landed at any place for a surgical strike. “It’s totally false… India is telling a lie that its helicopter was used for a surgical strike… the media should visit and judge by itself the authenticity of Indian claims,” he added.
The ISPR DG said that India also claimed that its paratroopers landed inside Pakistani territory. “If it is so then there should be someone who had seen them,” he maintained, adding that United Nations (UN) observers were also inspecting the site.
“No physical violation of the LoC has taken place, nor it will be allowed to happen by our resilient forces,” he reiterated in reply to a question. “The Pakistan Army is fully prepared to take on any misadventure and any such attempt will be responded in a more effective and forceful manner,” he said.
Lt Gen Bajwa also contradicted Indian claims of killing “so many” Pakistani soldiers. “If India had killed our soldiers then there would be burials… if our soldiers were taken away alive then India should produce them or give any evidence,” he said.
He said that two Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom, while nine were injured, who “have resumed duties after recovery”.
He said India was given a matching response, and scores of Indian soldiers would have been killed. He, however, said it was not clear why India was “hiding its losses”. He said that India had violated the ceasefire, adding that the Pakistan Army was capable of giving a befitting response.
Lt Gen Bajwa said Pakistan was fighting terrorism, and “does not believe in interfering in other countries’ affairs”.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan would never allow its soil to be used against any country. To a query, he said India was badly exposed over what it had done so far in Held Kashmir, but it started levelling baseless allegation against Pakistan. The ISPR DG reiterated that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral support to Kashmir people for their just struggle.