Pakistan shoots
down jet fighter
AGENCIES in New Delhi and Islamabad
Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian jet
fighters over Kashmir yesterday. India
admitted one had been hit, but said the other
crashed after mechanical failure.
The incident threatened to trigger the worst
crisis between the two now nuclear-armed
states since the end in 1971 of their third
post-independence war, also over Kashmir.
Defence Minister George Fernandes emerged
from a crisis meeting of India's caretaker
cabinet to say a decision on retaliation for
"this provocative act" had been taken. He did
not elaborate.
National security adviser Brajesh Mishra said
tensions would not escalate into war.
Pakistan Information Minister Mushahid
Hussein said Pakistan was committed to
peace. He would not speculate whether the
downing of the jets could lead to war.
"It depends on the Indian leadership and how
they tackle the situation . . . on our part we
are committed to dialogue," he said, urging
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to
immediately open talks.
However, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif said the country's nuclear tests a year
ago had given it a new confidence in
confronting any enemy challenge.
Islamabad claimed both aircraft had violated
its airspace, and had come down between
6km and 7km inside Pakistani-ruled Kashmir.
India denied either had crossed the Line of
Control between the two countries in the
disputed Himalayan territory before it was hit,
but admitted one came down in Pakistani
territory.
One of the pilots was killed, the other ejected
and was captured. Although war has not been
declared, Pakistan said the aviator would be
treated as a prisoner of war.
"India has grossly violated our territorial
space and is a threat to peace in the region,"
said Mr Hussein.
Indian Air Vice-Marshal S. K. Malik
denounced what he called "a hostile act and a
provocative act". The opposition Congress
party demanded "a fitting reply".
The Indian jets were bombing Muslim
militants holed up in Kargil, Dras and Batalik
in northern Kashmir, 6km inside the Line of
Control. India claimed Pakistan's military was
supporting and supplying the infiltrators.
Marshal Malik said the air attacks, involving
jet fighters and helicopter gunships, would
continue.
Indian military officials said air support had
helped clear some of the ridges held by the
infiltrators after 17,000 troops failed to
dislodge them.
"Some of the intruders are regular Pakistan
army troops in disguise," Brigadier Mohan
Bhandari said.
Pakistan denied its troops were involved and
accused India of launching the air strikes to
annex Pakistani territory.
Marshal Malik said the pilot of a MiG-27 jet
was forced to eject when the aircraft suffered
engine failure and started to lose altitude. A
MiG-21 flew low to locate the pilot and came
under attack.
"While doing so, trying to spot whether the
ejected pilot had landed in inhospitable terrain
so that he could be picked up, the [MiG-21]
was hit by a missile from across the border,"
Marshal Malik said.
"Aircraft were operating close to the LOC
[line of control] but they were on our side,"
he said.
But Pakistan's Major-General Anis Bajwa
said: "[On Wednesday] Indian planes violated
the LOC and attacked one of our positions
and rocketed it.
"They came in the same area again today,
they found us ready and we shot down both
the aircraft through ground fire."
The United States urged the two sides to halt
flaring tensions and called on them to talk
rather than fight.