Pakistan diplomat admits 300 casualties in Balakot airstrike
Dated : 12 Jan 2021 (IST)
Angered by the Pulwama terrorist attack on CRPF convoy at Pulwama and the inaction of the UNSC and the International community to rein in Pakistan, India finally lost patience and carried out at precision surgical air strike on a major terrorist training base in Balakot area deep inside Pakistan.
Pakistan typically to save face outright proclaimed that except for uprooting of a few trees there were no casualties. Indian version said that estimated number of terrorist casualties were around 300.
However many Pakistani supporters in Europe, Australia and USA defended Pakistan’s claim with myriad Of “technical data and jingo “. They even nearly uttered that IAF not capable of such things, as if this was birthright of USAAF or some European air forces only.
In fact even a section of Indian media and a group of Indian political parties questioned the authenticity of the strike itself. Everyone wanted proof …..vested interests wanted the proof with all the technical details. Naturally the IAF just smiled at their foolishness and kept quiet.
Though every country having satellite and other means of surveillance already knew the actual truth. Also Pakistan and the terrorist outfits were totally shaken and highly demoralized.
India had given a clear message to the terrorist outfits and the Pakistani Deep State that now onwards they had no hiding place whatsoever. India also gave a clear message to rest if the World that now onwards it will Not Hesitate to take actions which are essential to protect its National Interest, Security and Sovereignty.
Now in an embarrassing development for Pakistan and all its supporters, a former Pakistani diplomat Agha Hilaly admitted on a news television show that 300 terrorists had died in the Balakot airstrike on February 26, 2019.
The admission by the former Pakistani diplomat, who regularly takes the Pakistan Army side in TV debates, goes against the zero casualties claim made by Islamabad at that time.
Soon after Indian Air Force had carried out a strike at a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror training camp at Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, as a face-saving measure, had refused to acknowledge the presence of terrorists who were killed during the airstrike.
“India crossed the international border and did an act of war in which at least 300 were reported dead. Our target was different from theirs. We targeted their high command. That was our legitimate target because they are men of the military. We subconsciously accepted that a surgical strike — a limited action — did not result in any casualty. Now we have subconsciously told them that, whatever they will do, we’ll do only that much and won’t escalate,” said Agha Hilaly.
Hilaly was speaking during a debate on a Pakistani Urdu channel.
This revelation by the former Pakistan diplomat comes months after the remarks of Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Ayaz Sadiq, who in October 2020, said in the country’s National Assembly that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in an important meeting had pointed out that if Pakistan did not release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, India would attack Pakistan “that night by 9 pm”.
He had revealed why Imran Khan’s government decided to release Abhinandan Varthaman, saying Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa’s “legs were shaking” while Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the meeting of parliamentary leaders that India was about to attack their country.
Varthaman’s plane had crossed over to the Pakistani side during a dogfight with Pakistani planes in which the Indian MiG 21 pilot had shot downa F16 of the PAF on February 27, 2019. Abhinandan returned to India from the Attari-Wagah border on March 1, 2019.
