ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s defense analysts have been mulling quietly for lastfour weeks if there was an Indian intelligence plan to trap Pakistan AirForce (PAF) into shooting Indian commercial airliner on September 23? Thereis, as yet, no clear answer to what happened. Ironically, this unusuallydangerous situation had developed while both Pakistani and Indian premierswere in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), andImran Khan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, was all set to raise alarm bellsabout Indian actions in Kashmir.
The Hindu, a prestigious Indian newspaper, reported on October 17 that, on23rd September 2019, an Indian Spice Jet (a commercial airliner) carrying120 passengers, on its way from New Delhi to Kabul carried an electronicidentification (IFF squawks) of an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter plane.Pakistan Airforce (PAF) scrambled its jets and two F-16s intercepted theIndian plane, asked it to reduce speed, and asked for its identification.After confirming physically that the aircraft was not a military jet (aswas appearing from its electronic identification, IFF squawks) but aharmless civilian career, the PAF pilots escorted the Indian airliner outof the country’s airspace, the newspaper reported, Global Village Space hasreported.
According to the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)officials, a mistake happened while assigning the “call-sign” (IFF squawks)to the Spice Jet’s Boeing 737 aircraft and it was mistakenly given theelectronic identification of a fighter plane. Indian media reports thatthis was a “goof up” on the part of the Indian aviation regulator, and theofficial responsible has been suspended.
The hijackers were Hashim Qureshi and his cousin Ashraf Qureshi. Theaircraft was flown to Lahore, Pakistan where the passengers and the crewwere released, and the aircraft was burnt down by the hijackers
Pakistani officials on the other hand are concerned on the enormity of thesituation that had developed and its implications. On September 23,Pakistani and Indian prime ministers along with the global leadership werein New York for United Nations General Assembly session – where PakistaniPM was determined to draw attention towards the recent Indian actions inKashmir. Pakistan Foreign Office, its mission and Pakistani media were allfocused on raising Kashmir situation (lock down of 8 million KashmiriMuslims and RSS high handedness across India) Members of the Pakistanidiaspora were demonstrating along with Sikhs, Jewish community, Indianliberals and anti-Hindutva academics in different parts of the UnitedStates.
A few months ago, (26 Feb, 2019) Indian planes had crossed the Line ofControl and struck deep inside the Pakistani territory at Balakot (nearAbbottabad, in the Pakistani province of Khyher Pakthunkhwa) prompting acounter-strike from Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Feb, 27. In the ensuingdogfight India lost two planes (a Mig-21 and an advanced Russian builtSU-30) and subsequently Pakistan had closed its airspace to Indian planesfor several weeks. Indian Pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, captured by thePakistani forces, was released as a goodwill gesture by Pakistan.
Pakistani analysts, who have spoken to GVS, realize that while mistakes cancertainly happen, this kind of lapse looks very strange in the kind oftense situation that prevails between India and Pakistan since the Indianactions in February (Balakot strike) and recent actions in Kashmir. Indianresponse of downplaying the incident by merely suspending the CAA officialfor negligence or human error also looks insufficient. If one considers thehawkish statements that have routinely emerged from the Indian defenseminister, Rajnath Singh, and Indian military Chief, Gen. Bipin Rawat since5th August, with open threats of war, and accusing Pakistan of war likeactions then all of this starts to look very surprising.
*Disturbing History of Commercial Airliners Shot due to Mistaken Identity*
Unfortunately, commercial airliners have been shot down under assumptionsof mistaken identity or intentions – with tragic consequences leading tohuge losses of innocent civilians including children and families.
On July 17, 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17link (MH17) was shotdown, by Surface to Air missiles, in Eastern Ukraine while flying fromAmsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 283 passengers and 15 crew, onboard thisBoeing plane, a total of 298 innocent men, women and children were killed.Western governments blamed Russian supported Ukrainian insurgents andRussia while Russian government blamed western supported Ukrainiangovernment for letting the planes fly over disturbed territories. To thisday situation is not 100% clear but it appears that Ukranian insurgents ortheir Russian supporters shot down the Malaysian plane considering it aplane of Ukrainian government.
Read more: Budgam Chopper: Terrified Indian Forces shot down their ownhelicopterlink
On July 3, 1988, US Navy warship, the USS Vincennes, shot down Iran AirFlight 655 link. Theairliner, an Airbus 310, was flying over the Persian Gulf, from Tehran toDubai, when it was targeted by the US, surface to air missiles, killing all290 on board including 66 children. According to the American version, thepassenger plane, (Airbus 310) which was in Iranian airspace, had beenincorrectly identified as a fighter jet (F-4 or F-14). But shocked Iranianspointed out that Airbus was on its designated route, it was within Iran’sterritorial waters and the size of an Airbus 310 is much bigger than a F-4or F-14.
On 23rd September 2019, this was precisely what drew the attention of PAFradar teams who carefully observed that while plane entering from Indiacarries the IFF squawks of Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter planes but itssize is bigger and shape different and PAF decided to scramble its jets todo an actual verification. It was a bold decision and showed theprofessionalism and sensitivity of PAF teams.
Read Top Stories
Tragic stories don’t end with the ill-fated Iranian flight, 655. OnSeptember 1, 1983, Korean Airlines (KAL) flight 007link was shot downby Russian planes, killing all 269 passengers. The ill-fated plane flyingfrom New York to Seoul, via Alaska, had deviated from its route. Russianinterceptors (SU-15s) confused it with an American surveillance plane andshot it. Russian authorities maintained that plane that deviated from itsoriginal planned route was passing through Soviet prohibited airspace. Theincident dramatically increased tensions between the Soviet Union and thewestern world. But Russians suspected that US surveillance planes were alsopresent in the area and the whole thing was orchestrated by the Americanestablishment and Reagan Administration to demonize Soviet Union to show itas inherently evil.*Indian Design to Trap Pakistan?*
Pakistanis have reasons to be suspicious – Indian agencies have skillfullyused deception to great advantage. On 30 January 1971, an Indian Airlinespassenger airliner named Ganga, flying from Srinagar to Jammu, was hijackedby two Kashmiri separatists belonging to the National Liberation Front(NLF, the antecedent of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front). The hijackerswere Hashim Qureshi and his cousin Ashraf Qureshi. The aircraft was flownto Lahore, Pakistan where the passengers and the crew were released, andthe aircraft was burnt down by the hijackers.
Pakistan Air Force reacted responsibly & professionally to the suicidalstupidity of assigning the military code to a civilian aircraft, so 120Indian lives were saved
India reacting to this outrageous act banned overflight route to the formerEast-Pakistan. Pakistan that was facing the beginnings of an insurgency inits Eastern wing saw unsurmountable problems in maintaining logistics withits eastern half separated by more than 1000 miles of Indian territory –and was incapable to transport sufficient troops in time when insurgencysupported by India grew stronger.
Pakistanis only learnt later that “Ganga” was one of the oldest aircraft inthe Indian Airlines fleet and was already withdrawn from service but wasre-inducted days before the hijacking. Now subsequent disclosures andwritings have made it clear that “Ganga Hijacking” was a well thought outplan of Indian Intelligence and its goal was to create reasons for closingIndian Airspace to Pakistani flights to Dhaka -with disastrous consequencesfor the state of Pakistan.
It is pertinent to recall that the Prime Minister of Imran Khan wasscheduled to address the UNGA on 27 September, just 4 days after thisapparent “mistake” was committed by a functionary of Indian Civil Aviation.The Pakistani Premier was all set to take a stand against the Indianactions in Kashmir. Analysts wonder what would have happened if the PAF didnot react carefully.
How would have Pakistan presented its case to the world after mistakenlykilling more than 100 innocent citizens? How it would have convinced theworld and Indian public that the tragedy that happened was the mistake ofan Indian civil aviation functionary? Given that Indian Jet Spice plane wasbound for Kabul, half its passengers would have been Afghan businessmen,traders and officials giving another twist to the event.
Read more: Pakistan Navy Interception of Indian Submarine points to itsImportant role in the regionlink
Professor Ashok Swain, Director of the Programme of International Studies,Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden,praised the PAF for saving the lives of innocent people. “Pakistan AirForce reacted responsibly & professionally to the suicidal stupidity ofassigning the military code to a civilian aircraft, so 120 Indian liveswere saved!,” he said.
But for many defense experts in Pakistan, it is “surprising to see howcalmly the Indian authorities are dealing with such a huge mistake” whichfurther reinforce their fears that it might have been “a strategic trap” todemonize Pakistan, its institutions and its stand on Kashmir. There needsto be through investigation and all the facts should be brought before theworld.
