“We didn’t intercept Indian Drones because we didn’t want to leak our locations”: Pakistan Defence Minister, Khwaza Ashif.
The explanation above by Pakistani Defence Minister is utter nonsense. The fact is that their air defence system, Chinese made HQ-9, was unable to detect Indian drones and missiles. It was as useless as the Chinese missiles Pl-15, which it had fired. This statement exposes not only intellectual level of Pakistan’s leadership but it also exposes their gullible ways to fool their public. Well! If general public accepts such funny explanations, it is a revelation of their emotional blindness and the cause of army’s domination of Pakistsn.
According to reports, it is now learnt that Pakistan had fired drones over 36 Indian military locations. The purpose of Pakistan’s drone swarming of India along a frontage of 2084 kms from Kupwara in Kashmir valley to Bhuj in Gujarat, was three fold:
One, seek a gap in India’s air defence system to finalise its military objectives of war, both primary and secondary. Focus on Jammu and Jaisalmer indicates that the primary objective is Chhamb – Jaurian. It could be the target to cut off J& K and the secondary objective is to preempt likely Indian offensive through Umarkot – Naya Chhor area.
Time now for India to seize initiative and stop reacting to Pakistan’s actions. Strike at its delivery system and known launch pads of nukes. F-16 fighters of Pakistan are located at Sargodha. Time to blast every inch of Pakistan before it can even think of a nuclear option
Two, infiltrate terrorists while Indian army was busy with neutralisation of drones . Terrorists groups would act as “Force Multiplier” for Pak offensive by sabotaging indian military assets.
Three, create air defence gap by making India waste its air defence resources to allow Pakistani fighters to support ground forces and strike at strategic targets.
Therefore, false flagging of intents would continue. India claims to have destroyed some 57 drones. It is doubtful if they had significant explosive material. Their purpose was to probe Indian air defence system. Drones used by Pakistan were of Turkish make. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India claims that Pakistan fired some 300-400 drones from Leh to Sir Creek. These drones had been delivered, it seems, by Turkish Naval Ship which had visited Karachi Port of Pakistan, some days back.
Pakistan has yet not used Chinese Wang Loong-II, range of 400-500 kms with a pay load of 32 kg. It needs to be seen as to how effective is Indian “Akash Air Defence” system. S-400 air defence system is against missiles and fighters. It has the capability to pick up targets at a distance of 400 kms and strike them even before they take off. It is inadvisable to use them against these probing drones.
It is an indication that War was in its initial phase of assessing each other’s strength and weaknesses. It is still a Smoke Screen of real intents by Pakistan. May be Pakistan was trying to gauge Indian resolve and capabilities .
India’s focus must be to go for Pakistan military’s command, control and communication system. The strike at the military nerve centre would incapacitate its war- making potential
Time now for India to seize initiative and stop reacting to Pakistan’s actions. Strike at its delivery system and known launch pads of nukes. F-16 fighters of Pakistan are located at Sargodha. Time to blast every inch of Pakistan before it can even think of a nuclear option. India must bay for the head of General Asim Munir. As long as he controls Pakistan, danger of nuke attack will loom large in South Asia.
India’s focus must be to go for Pakistan military’s command, control and communication system. The strike at the military nerve centre would incapacitate its war- making potential. It may be noted that the command and control of Pakistan’s nukes is with military leadership. It is, therefore, all the more important to target GHQ of Pakistan’s military. Isolate military and political leadership.
Penultimately, if Pakistan does exercise nuclear option, as it thretens to do so, it is Indian leadership to be blamed – who has been defensive and reactive in responding to Pakistan’s aggression. It is now reported that Pakistan’s PM has called for NCA (National Command Authority) meet. The NCA is responsible for nuclear assets. The first thing India should have done was the neutralisation of Pakistan’s military’s command, control and communication structure.
India has always suffered for its magnanimity and concern for human values. It has forgotten basic lesson of its Holy book “Geeta”, where, Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to use all its might to subdue its enemy and no mercy to be shown to an “evil doer”. Pakistan’s motive is pure evil and nothing else
India has given too much loose rope to Pakistan military. India has always suffered for its magnanimity and concern for human values. It has forgotten basic lesson of its Holy book “Geeta”, where, Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to use all its might to subdue its enemy and no mercy to be shown to an “evil doer”. Pakistan’s motive is pure evil and nothing else.
Therefore, it is time to boost up second front from Durand Line. Provide all military, financial and logistics support to BLF and TTP. Make it a war, which Pakistan has never seen and never it would see in future. The evil and the rogue nation must be wiped out. Asim Munir has provided India with this golden opportunity and it should be fight to the finish. All pretences of moralistic hiccups be ignored. The Holy Gita encourages one to face fear and uncertainty with a strong will and determination, as a warrior in the battle of life. Go for it India!
As the escalation continues, my assessment indicates that the missile war will get intense and may be fighter jets dominate skies. I don’t see ground operations anywhere other than Gilgit- Baltistan (G-B). India might hype the tempo on the Durand Line, but I don’t think land armies will clash. Most likely, as part of “annihilation effort”, India might go for Karachi blockade and heavy pounding.
-An ex-NDA and Wellington Staff College graduate, Col Rajinder Singh is a renowned author and security analyst. He has authored four books, two individually and two in collaboration. His best-selling books are Kashmir – A Different Perspective and The ULFA Insurgency. The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
