Pakistan Air Force chief on Monday asked his officers tokeep their “guard up” as the challenges facing the country “are not over yet”,amid heightened tensions with India following the Pulwama attack and an aerialcombat between the two forces.
Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan made the remarks duringa visit to the forward operating bases (FOB), where he met combat and groundcrew, air defence and engineering personnel, troops and civilian staff, aPakistan Air Force (PAF) spokesperson was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
Tensions between India and Pakistan flared up after asuicide bomber killed 40 CRPF soldiers in Kashmir on February 14.
Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force carried out astrike, hitting what it said was a JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistanon February 26. The next day, Pakistan retaliated.
“The challenges are not over yet, and we should keep ourguards up and always be ready to respond to any aggression from the adversary,”Khan said, referring to the Indian air strikes in Balakot.
Recalling the shooting down of an Indian aircraft by PAFjets last week, the air chief said the entire nation is “proud of PAF, whichdid exceptionally well in safeguarding the sovereignty of our country in therecent conflict with the enemy.”
An Indian pilot was captured by the Pakistani forces.
On Thursday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told aspecial joint sitting of Parliament that his government was releasing the pilotas a “peace gesture”.
The pilot returned to India from Pakistan on Friday to a hero’swelcome, nearly 60 hours after he was captured following a dogfight when hisMiG 21 was shot down.
The move was seen as a step by Pakistan to de-escalatetensions with India, but the air chief instructed PAF personnel to not lettheir guards down.