Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Mujahid Anwar Khan has said that the PAF will thwart any misadventure by the enemy and is ready to respond with full force as per the aspirations of the nation.
He was addressing a ceremony held to celebrate the second anniversary of Operation Swift Retort on Saturday at Air Headquarters (AHQ) to pay homage to the valiant pilots and all those involved in defending the motherland and shooting down Indian fighter plane in 2019.
Air Chief Mujahid Anwar Khan said “our desire for peace must not be misunderstood and in case of any misadventure, our response would be swift, resolute and unwavering.”
“We want to live in peace, but if our sovereignty is challenged, our response would always be Swift and Resolute as it was on 27 February, 2019,” he added.
“The PAF maintained its operational readiness to deter aggression, despite the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic,” the air chief continued.
“Pakistan is confronted with varied challenges, including a hybrid war, which demands our enhanced commitment and vigilance. PAF endeavours to augment its capability in all spectrums of operations while pursuing modernisation through indigenous efforts.”
The air chief resolved that “we stand with our Kashmiri brethren in their just struggle for the right to self-determination.”
“It is time to end the atrocities being inflicted on innocent Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the air chief said.
Former air chiefs and a large number of PAF officials attended the ceremony. Earlier, a smartly turned out contingent of PAF presented the guard of honour. A spectacular fly past by two formations of PAF fighter aircraft, including F-16, JF-17, F-7 and Mirage, was the highlight of the ceremony. The ceremony was rounded off with soulful performance by the young students of Fazaia School and College.
On February 27, 2019, two Indian warplanes, a MiG-21 Bison and an SU-30, were shot down by the PAF pilots after they attempted to intrude into Pakistan’s airspace.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the pilot of the Mig-21, was captured after his jet crashed inside Pakistan’s territory. He was later released by Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.
