Air Vice Marshal Faheem Ullah Malik
SINCE long, the PAF feels itself unfortunate that it never had the opportunity to have come across an honourable, dignified and chivalrous adversary. Chivalry and honour in combat are a function of integrity but not of a specific tribe, race or locale. Honour sometimes displays itself through genes while sometimes is brought through prevailing environments but rarely is a function of customary training or course of instructions.
Though, numerous incidents of individual or personal valour have been documented during previous Pak-India engagements; yet few instances have demonstrated a complete construct of courage in the damning phase of conflict. Historically, number of incidents of low-esteem / indignity at organisational as well as national level have been observed during our past conflicts (and sometimes in non-conflict situations) with our eastern neighbour, barring few individual exceptions like FM Sam Manek Shaw, who used to candidly admit to the professionalism of his enemy.
Be it a failed attack on an un-armed Dakota transport aircraft in Kashmir in 1948;shooting down of IAF Canberra on Eid day in 1950;exemplary performance of PAF under adverse conditions in 1971 that was lauded by independent observers (e.g. the famous ‘Chuck Yeager’);or last year’s abortive aerial attack by IAF on Balakot; deceitful official Indian information (read ‘Propaganda’) machinery, her duteous public and acquiescent private media houses and their devious self-proclaimed intellectual elite; all together craft such a layered maze of concocted lies that its literally improbable to breach and seek the truth through this melded mesh of illusions.
But the worst and despicable part comes when a relatively trained and presumably professional service like Indian Air Force joins this bunch of sweeping liars and compromises her hard-managed repute. Not re-searching into the historical events, may we ask the up-coming dutch-courageous IAF to truthfully respond at least to last one year’s unsettled questions, asked by many professional analysts (including their very own Ms C. Fair @ MiLiFest-2019) regarding IAF’s professional performance (and expertise) in weapon delivery and in “defending” their OCCUPIED air space (as it belonged to IOJ&K). Till date, the questions likes of the following have remained wanting:-
a. Against which aircraft was that AMRAAM fired; tail-fins of which, a bloating AVM Kapoor was displaying to the media, announcing that AMRAAM fin was found East of Rajori (IOJ&K) with no mention of distance or ground position of impact, nor the result of that hit? How did that AMRAAM piece travel in air for more than 15 km, as IAF claimed shooting F-16 inside Pakistani territory?
b. Wg Cdr Abhinandan has been decorated with a medal for shooting down a PAF F-16. From where came the invisible IAF Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) that engaged PAF F-16 inside AJK, while all 4-AAMs carried by Wg Cdr Abhi are accounted for and were on display after ‘Bison’ destruction by PAF pilots?
c. IAF (and their well-wishers) continue to produce photo-shopped images of SPICE strike else where and (allegedly) in Balakot. Have their claims been verified by any sat-imagery taken by any international independent/governmental space agency? There appear to be dozens (if not hundreds) photo-satellites passing over the area during those timings, so why is there no such corroboration from any sympathetic quarter?
d. Why is Indian media insisting on achieving an unattainable feat of convincing the international audience of the false and fabricated story of IAF professionalism? Is it in following their master Joseph Goebbels’ doctrine of “telling lie so repetitively and convincingly that it is believed to be truth”, OR; Is this an attempt to keep the curtain of ignorance and deceit drawn over their charmed domestic audience in order to hide IAF’s unprofessional response bringing humiliation and infamy?
Many more queries remain outstanding and the questions unrequited, awaiting IAF’s accession to truth. The world, in general, and the truth-seekers in particular, remain concerned about IAF’s transparent, logical and convincing reply that is awaited even after a year has lapsed. The big question remains: Would IAF ever be able to validate their mysterious claim of shooting down PAF F-16 well inside Pakistan and its weapon parts being found more than 15 km inside IOJ&K? OR; If their (IAF) claim of AMRAAM being fired at the IAF aircraft and evaded, is true then share the aircraft/pilot details.
In my opinion, IAF must not deny the credit of sacrifices made by their aircrew in responding to the PAF onslaught. All over the world, it’s always an honour and privilege for an airman to lay his life for his motherland. IAF must not take this honour away in order to gain petty political score at the behest of their political masters. It is simply a betrayal and treason to the blood of a fallen brother.
