Air Vice Marshal Faheem Ullah Malik
SINCE long, the PAF feels itself unfortunate that it never had theopportunity to have come across an honourable, dignified and chivalrousadversary. Chivalry and honour in combat are a function of integrity butnot of a specific tribe, race or locale.
Honour sometimes displays itself through genes while sometimes is broughtthrough prevailing environments but rarely is a function of customarytraining or course of instructions.
Though, numerous incidents of individual or personal valour have beendocumented during previous Pak-India engagements; yet few instances havedemonstrated a complete construct of courage in the damning phase ofconflict.
Historically, number of incidents of low-esteem / indignity atorganisational as well as national level have been observed during our pastconflicts (and sometimes in non-conflict situations) with our easternneighbour, barring few individual exceptions like FM Sam Manek Shaw, whoused to candidly admit to the professionalism of his enemy.
Be it a failed attack on an un-armed Dakota transport aircraft in Kashmirin 1948;shooting down of IAF Canberra on Eid day in 1950;exemplaryperformance of PAF under adverse conditions in 1971 that was lauded byindependent observers (e.g. the famous ‘Chuck Yeager’);or last year’sabortive aerial attack by IAF on Balakot; deceitful official Indianinformation (read ‘Propaganda’) machinery, her duteous public andacquiescent private media houses and their devious self-proclaimedintellectual elite; all together craft such a layered maze of concoctedlies that its literally improbable to breach and seek the truth throughthis melded mesh of illusions.
But the worst and despicable part comes when a relatively trained andpresumably professional service like Indian Air Force joins this bunch ofsweeping liars and compromises her hard-managed repute.
Not re-searching into the historical events, may we ask the up-comingdutch-courageous IAF to truthfully respond at least to last one year’sunsettled questions, asked by many professional analysts (including theirvery own Ms C. Fair @ MiLiFest-2019) regarding IAF’s professionalperformance (and expertise) in weapon delivery and in “defending” theirOCCUPIED air space (as it belonged to IOJ&K). Till date, the questionslikes of the following have remained wanting:-
a. Against which aircraft was that AMRAAM fired; tail-fins of which, abloating AVM Kapoor was displaying to the media, announcing that AMRAAM finwas found East of Rajori (IOJ&K) with no mention of distance or groundposition of impact, nor the result of that hit? How did that AMRAAM piecetravel in air for more than 15 km, as IAF claimed shooting F-16 insidePakistani territory?
b. Wg Cdr Abhinandan has been decorated with a medal for shooting down aPAF F-16. From where came the invisible IAF Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) thatengaged PAF F-16 inside AJK, while all 4-AAMs carried by Wg Cdr Abhi areaccounted for and were on display after ‘Bison’ destruction by PAF pilots?
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c. IAF (and their well-wishers) continue to produce photo-shopped images ofSPICE strike else where and (allegedly) in Balakot. Have their claims beenverified by any sat-imagery taken by any internationalindependent/governmental space agency?
There appear to be dozens (if not hundreds) photo-satellites passing overthe area during those timings, so why is there no such corroboration fromany sympathetic quarter?d. Why is Indian media insisting on achieving an unattainable feat ofconvincing the international audience of the false and fabricated story ofIAF professionalism?
Is it in following their master Joseph Goebbels’ doctrine of “telling lieso repetitively and convincingly that it is believed to be truth”, OR; Isthis an attempt to keep the curtain of ignorance and deceit drawn overtheir charmed domestic audience in order to hide IAF’s unprofessionalresponse bringing humiliation and infamy?Many more queries remain outstanding and the questions unrequited, awaitingIAF’s accession to truth.
The world, in general, and the truth-seekers in particular, remainconcerned about IAF’s transparent, logical and convincing reply that isawaited even after a year has lapsed.
The big question remains: Would IAF ever be able to validate theirmysterious claim of shooting down PAF F-16 well inside Pakistan and itsweapon 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 thenshare the aircraft/pilot details.
In my opinion, IAF must not deny the credit of sacrifices made by theiraircrew in responding to the PAF onslaught.
All over the world, it’s always an honour and privilege for an airman tolay his life for his motherland. IAF must not take this honour away inorder to gain petty political score at the behest of their politicalmasters. It is simply a betrayal and treason to the blood of a fallenbrother.
