ISLAMABAD: Pakistani defence forces have made an operational plan ready to give a befitting response to any misadventure from war-mongering India and in case of a surgical strike from the enemy, even targets in India have been selected for an immediate quid pro quo. Defence sources said, “Pakistan is fully prepared to meet any military challenge from India. Our operational plan is ready, quid pro quo targets are finalised and forces have been dedicated,” a source said, adding that Pakistan would not digest any aggression from India.

These sources said, “India is well aware of our capabilities and also knows the fact that despite the Pakistan Army’s participation in internal security issues, a military balance is well maintained to meet any challenge from across the border.”

“Whether it is a Cold Start or hot pursuit, we are ready,” a defence source said when asked about India’s reported preparations to attack selected targets in Pakistan under the Cold Start war doctrine.

The defence sources said that neither will any air space violation nor will any ground attack be tolerated. In case of surgical attack from India, these sources said that Pakistan would immediately respond for which targets had already been set.

According to a source, in view of Pakistan’s defence capabilities and knowing well how Pakistan could respond, India might not get beyond the war hysteria it had created. The source said that there were reports that India might go for a terrorist attack in Balochistan through its proxies while using the Afghan soil.

Tensions between the neighbouring nuclear Pakistan and India have raised after the latter prematurely and without any evidence blamed the former for the recent Uri attack in occupied Kashmir in which 17 Indian forces personnel were killed.

Without holding any investigation into the attack, India pointed the finger at Pakistan. Such had been the irrational and irresponsible reaction of India that its leading Director General Military Operation (DGMO), who is a Lieutenant General, had announced that the attackers had Pakistani arms.

The Indian DGMO even went to the extent of saying that the Pakistan made AK-47 assault rifles were used in the attack whereas the fact remained that Pakistan does not manufacture AK-47.

However, to the embarrassment of India and its military, nothing has been found against Pakistan. New Delhi instead had to retract its earlier allegation that the arms used by the attackers were Pakistan made.

Many in Pakistan believe that Uri was Pathankot-like Indian false flag operation, which was aimed at targeting Pakistan and its efforts to highlight the Indian atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir at the UN General Assembly.

In the case of Pathankot Airbase attack, which was made a three-four day show to get the maximum world attention and use it against Pakistan, was only a few hours encounter. Like the Uri attack, Pakistan in the case was also blamed immediately but India failed to establish that the attackers entered from Pakistan.

Following the Pathankot incident, Pakistan sent its Joint Investigation Team, which was not given enough space to probe the matter. When inquired by the Pakistani JIT, the Indian authorities had indicated the place from where the assailants allegedly entered the base but Pakistan team was told that perimeter lights were also not functioning on the day of the incident.

The total duration of the JIT visit to the Pathankot base was of 55 minutes which seemed merely a walk through without any meaningful evidence collection. The Indians initially claimed that the attackers entered from Pakistan but no evidence was shared with the JIT.

What made things really suspicious was the claim by the Indian authorities that the attackers had crossed the border but the BSF Jawans were sleeping. Additionally, it was said that the electric fence on the border was out of order that night. To make things further doubtful, the attackers were said to have crossed the airbase walls with a single rope without a hook. Interestingly, the airbase perimeter lamps were also off despite a 28-hour early warning of an attack at Pathankot.

—Originally published in The News