Indian, Afghan spy agencies planning to target a Pakistani jet: sources

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Amid soaring tension between India and Pakistan over former’s recent attempt to intrude the aerial and marine boundaries of the neighbouring country, latest reports are now pouring in that the intelligence agencies of Afghanistan and India are collaborating to target any of the Pakistan’s airplanes with the help of militants.

In line with its nefarious designs, Indian intelligence agency the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has sought help from Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) to spread anarchy in Pakistan.

Sources told a private television channel that India had sought help of NDS to execute its plan of shooting down a Pakistani plane in order to cover up its defeats on all fronts recently when it violated Pakistan’s airspace and met with a befitting response.

It is learnt that the Indian agencies were planning whether to use Afghan terrorists for the attack or deploy Tehreek-e-Taliban militants on the mission. According to their plan, the spy agencies of both the countries look to target a Pakistani target flying off from Peshawar.

Pakistan’s forces have received the information about ill-intent of the enemies and they have been on the alert and prepared to tackle any such situation, sources said.

A week ago, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies had received a report regarding the designs primarily crafted by the India and Israel who were jointly planning to launch an attack on Pakistan on February 27.

However, it was learnt that a third country, presumably a world power, was also involved with India and Israel.

Sources said that the neighbouring country was targeting eight locations in Pakistan with its missiles, mainly Karachi and Bahawalpur.

In response, Pakistan had also taken aim at eight to nine targets if the neighbouring country proceeded with its hawkish move.

To counter the enemy’s move, Pakistan had closed its airspace after receiving confirmed reports about India’s nefarious designs, so that the enemy couldn’t possibly target any civilian aircraft.

During an interview with CNN, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said that tensions between Pakistan and India may be easing but the threat of war is still there. He said that Pakistan only responded to the Indian aggression, adding that it depends on India what step it will take to reduce the tensions.

Kashmir dispute has to be resolved in order to maintain peace in the region, the DG asserted.

Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated significantly over recent days, after a suicide bombing in Indian Occupied Kashmir killed 40 Indian paramilitaries.

JeM allegedly claimed responsibility for the February 14 blast, and 12 days later Indian jets violated Pakistani airspace and dropped their payloads in haste in Jaba village of Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when they were chased away by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets.

Pakistan has denied any damage or casualties in the incident, and independent reporting has shown the strikes hit a heavily forested area with little infrastructure nearby. Residents have said just one person was injured.

The next day Pakistani aircraft entered Indian airspace and the two nations’ jets engaged in aerial dogfights, with two Indian aircraft shot down and its pilot captured by Pakistan. The pilot was handed back to India last Friday in what Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called a “peace gesture”.