Sunday, December 14, 2008

India Rubbishes Pak Accusations of Air Space Violation


Two weeks after New Delhi vowed strong action against “elements in Pakistan,” following the terror attack on Mumbai, Islamabad on Sunday accused India of breaching its air space and declared emergency at all airbases, India, however, rubbished claims and added that no complaints were received from the Pakistani side.

Associated Press of Pakistan news agency quoted the country’s Air Force spokesman Air Commodore Humyun Viqar as saying that Indian fighter jets breached the country's airspace over Lahore and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir twice last night.

Viqar claimed Pakistani fighter jets responded to the violations forcing the Indian to abandon the sortie and return to base. He asserted that Pakistani Air Force would remain on alert to "thwart any aggression" from India.

According to the official, the violation by Indian jets took place at 2330 hours Saturday and again at 0130 hours on Sunday.

Not negating possibilities of a "technical violation" by Indian jets. He said "But we are ready to deal with any misadventure. We are monitoring the situation, we are on alert," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Information Minister Sherry Rehman told Pakistani Engliss daily ‘Dawn’ that Indian side had termed the violation an "inadvertent incursion". She added that Pakistan did not want to prolong the matter.

Indian Air Force officials on Sunday morning rubbished reports that its fighter jets had violated Pakistan's air space and said they had received no complaint from the Pakistani side.

Responding to Pakistani allegations a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) official in the Western Air Command said "There is no truth in the allegations, it is all rubbish."

He added, "We haven't even received any complaint from the Pakistani air force."

The incident comes at a time when accusations are ‘flying high’ on both sides between the two nuclear-powered south Asian neighbours after the dastardly Mumbai attacks, killed over 170 and wounded scores of others.

Pakistan has come in for huge international criticism since the attacks, activists and politicians in India are seething with rage over the attack, which arguably were the most audacious on Indian soil ever.

No comments: