ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday Pakistan was fully capable of defending its territorial integrity, marking the sixth anniversary of Operation Swift Retort, during which the country’s air force shot down an Indian fighter jet that had entered Pakistani airspace.
On February 27, 2019, Indian fighter jets crossed into Pakistani territory, claiming to have carried out a surgical strike against what New Delhi alleged was a militant training camp near Balakot city. The incursion came in response to a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir earlier that month, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, though Pakistan had condemned the development.
In retaliation, Pakistan’s air force launched Operation Swift Retort, downing an Indian MiG-21 and capturing its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later returned to India as a peace gesture. The episode sharply escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, bringing them to the brink of a full-scale conflict.
“Six years ago, on February 27, 2019, Pakistan’s Air Force delivered a clear message to the enemy that Pakistan possesses the full capability to defend its borders,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.
“Through Operation Swift Retort, Pakistan’s Air Force demonstrated its military prowess and unshakable resolve to safeguard the homeland, sending a clear signal that the Pakistan Armed Forces are fully capable of countering any aggression,” he added.
The prime minister lauded the valor, professionalism and sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces, emphasizing the country remains committed to peaceful coexistence but will not hesitate to respond to any threat to its national security and stability.
“Pakistan has always strived to promote regional peace, but whenever an attempt was made to undermine our national security and stability, the entire nation stood united like an iron wall,” he said.
Later in 2019, Pakistan and India downgraded diplomatic relations after New Delhi revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, further straining ties between the two South Asian rivals.