Amid increasing deployment of air assets by Pakistan near the Indian border, Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa took a jibe at Pakistani counterpart Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), mocking his earlier statement in which he vowed to lead the force ‘from the front'.
The basis of Dhanoa's ridicule was that Khan had flown in the rear cockpit of his F-16 during PAF fly past at Pakistan National Day which took place on Saturday last week.
"Pakistan Air Force chief was flying from the rear cockpit," BS Dhanoa quipped.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan said on Saturday that the force was ready to defend the aerial frontiers of the country at all costs.
"This is your air chief. Make no mistake… we will always safeguard Pakistan. Presenting to you our wings of freedom and the guardians of your skies. Pakistan Zindabad," PAF chief Mujahid Anwar Khan said.
Earlier this week, an Indian news outlet, citing intelligence reports, said that Pakistan had deployed a spate of Chinese-made medium-range air defence missiles in several cities and military bases in Pakistan to prevent possible new strikes by the IAF.
The two nuclear-armed nations have asked their armed forces to remain on high alert beginning 26 February when the IAF conducted a non-military air strike in Balakot, Pakistan.
The Indian strikes were reportedly against terror infrastructure operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), though Islamabad has denied this. JeM earlier claimed responsibility for the suicide terror attack on an Indian paramilitary convoy on 14 February in Pulwama in Kashmir which killed 40 Indian troopers.
The basis of Dhanoa's ridicule was that Khan had flown in the rear cockpit of his F-16 during PAF fly past at Pakistan National Day which took place on Saturday last week.
"Pakistan Air Force chief was flying from the rear cockpit," BS Dhanoa quipped.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan said on Saturday that the force was ready to defend the aerial frontiers of the country at all costs.
"This is your air chief. Make no mistake… we will always safeguard Pakistan. Presenting to you our wings of freedom and the guardians of your skies. Pakistan Zindabad," PAF chief Mujahid Anwar Khan said.
Earlier this week, an Indian news outlet, citing intelligence reports, said that Pakistan had deployed a spate of Chinese-made medium-range air defence missiles in several cities and military bases in Pakistan to prevent possible new strikes by the IAF.
The two nuclear-armed nations have asked their armed forces to remain on high alert beginning 26 February when the IAF conducted a non-military air strike in Balakot, Pakistan.
The Indian strikes were reportedly against terror infrastructure operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), though Islamabad has denied this. JeM earlier claimed responsibility for the suicide terror attack on an Indian paramilitary convoy on 14 February in Pulwama in Kashmir which killed 40 Indian troopers.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, on Monday cautioned the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officers that they should keep their "guard up" as the challenges facing the nation "are not over yet".
The air chief made the remarks during a visit to the forward operating bases (FOB), where, according to a PAF spokesperson, he met combat and ground crew, air defence and engineering personnel, security troops and civilian staff.
"We bow our heads in complete humility and express our gratitude to the Almighty for giving us strength to come up to the expectations of our resilient nation,” the air chief said, referring to last week's repulsion of an Indian attack and subsequent shooting down of two Indian aircraft.
"The entire nation is proud of PAF, which did exceptionally well in safeguarding the sovereignty of our country in the recent conflict with the enemy.”
One of the Indian aircraft's pilots was captured by the armed forces before Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to repatriate him as a peace gesture.
The move has largely dispelled an immediate threat of further escalations with India, but the chief of air staff has instructed PAF personnel to not let their guards down.
"The challenges are not over yet, and we should keep our guards up and always be ready to respond to any aggression from the adversary," he said.
Last month, amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan following an attack on Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir's Pulwama district, Air Chief Marshal Khan had said that the PAF would "thwart any misadventure by the enemy" and was ready to respond to any incursion with full force as per the aspirations of the nation.
Tags:
Defence

