NEW DELHI: In a major damage-
control exercise, the Pakistani army
yesterday flew international and
local media to the Line of Control
(LoC) to 'prove' India didn't conduct
any surgical strikes across it in
Pakistan, local and other
international media reported today.
In fact, French news agency Agence
France Presse (AFP) called the
ferrying of journalists by air "a rare
step" by Pakistan.
"The army took the rare step of
flying international media to the de
facto border to make its case in a
battle of competing narratives," AFP
wrote.
All of this to desperately prove to
the world that no "signature of any
surgical strike" could be found and
that India's claims were "white lies",
as Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, a
spokesman for the Pakistani army,
told the journalists, according to
Dawn and The News International.
The group of 40 journalists flown by
the Army to a forward command
post on the LoC represented about
20 media organisations.
Pak in denial
Pakistan has denied the surgical
strikes took place and merely said
that two of its soldiers were killed
in ''routine'' cross-border fire on the
intervening night of September
28-29, when India successfully struck
terrorist camps taking out at least 38
terrorists across the LoC in Pakistan.
"No such incident has taken place
nor any such will be allowed to
happen in future and if the
adversary attempted so, it will be
responded to with an ever
strongest force," Bajwa said.
Gen Bajwa asked several rhetorical
questions of the Indian military
about its surgical strikes and said
the Indian Army's director general of
military operations should be "sure-
footed" while making statements
on sensitive matters.
"If they've caused that damage to
us, we don't know any has been
caused to us! You can go and meet
the civilian population. Our side is
open: to the UN mission, to the
media, to the general public," AFP
quoted him as saying.
AFP, on its part, said it was not
possible to verify the general's
claims, "...though villagers who
spoke with a second AFP reporter in
the area independent of the
military-guided trip were also
incredulous", AFP wrote.
http://m.timesofindia.com/india/Pak...cal-strikes-by-India/articleshow/54639720.cms
control exercise, the Pakistani army
yesterday flew international and
local media to the Line of Control
(LoC) to 'prove' India didn't conduct
any surgical strikes across it in
Pakistan, local and other
international media reported today.
In fact, French news agency Agence
France Presse (AFP) called the
ferrying of journalists by air "a rare
step" by Pakistan.
"The army took the rare step of
flying international media to the de
facto border to make its case in a
battle of competing narratives," AFP
wrote.
All of this to desperately prove to
the world that no "signature of any
surgical strike" could be found and
that India's claims were "white lies",
as Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, a
spokesman for the Pakistani army,
told the journalists, according to
Dawn and The News International.
The group of 40 journalists flown by
the Army to a forward command
post on the LoC represented about
20 media organisations.
Pak in denial
Pakistan has denied the surgical
strikes took place and merely said
that two of its soldiers were killed
in ''routine'' cross-border fire on the
intervening night of September
28-29, when India successfully struck
terrorist camps taking out at least 38
terrorists across the LoC in Pakistan.
"No such incident has taken place
nor any such will be allowed to
happen in future and if the
adversary attempted so, it will be
responded to with an ever
strongest force," Bajwa said.
Gen Bajwa asked several rhetorical
questions of the Indian military
about its surgical strikes and said
the Indian Army's director general of
military operations should be "sure-
footed" while making statements
on sensitive matters.
"If they've caused that damage to
us, we don't know any has been
caused to us! You can go and meet
the civilian population. Our side is
open: to the UN mission, to the
media, to the general public," AFP
quoted him as saying.
AFP, on its part, said it was not
possible to verify the general's
claims, "...though villagers who
spoke with a second AFP reporter in
the area independent of the
military-guided trip were also
incredulous", AFP wrote.
http://m.timesofindia.com/india/Pak...cal-strikes-by-India/articleshow/54639720.cms
pak
