ISPR DG sets record straight on Abhinandan episode

Inter-Services Public Relations DG Maj-General Babar Iftikhar on Thursday said a statement issued yesterday was aimed at distorting the national security history, adding that Pakistan responded to the Indian aggression in broad daylight.

Addressing a media briefing in Rawalpindi, Maj-General Babar said Pakistan gave a befitting reply, downing two Indian fighter jets, adding that the panicked enemy shot down one of their helicopters.

He said Wing Commander Abhinandan was released under Geneva Convention after Pakistan acted as a responsible country for peace in the region.

“The Government of Pakistan decided to act as a responsible nation and released Wing Commander Abhinandan.”

The ISPR DG said India faced humiliation after the Pulwama incident and Pakistan’s victory was acknowledged at the international level. 

He said Pakistan showed capacity and resolve as the enemy entered the country to target the people but left after dropping bombs on empty mountains.  

Making it clear that the country’s leadership and armed forces are ready to face any situation, Maj-Gen Babar described the statement as unfortunate and misleading.

It was tantamount to making the gain and victory controversial, he said and stressed that it affected the narrative and national security at a time when the enemy had imposed a hybrid war on the country.

The enemy, he added, was taking advantage of the situation which could be seen in the reports appearing in Indian media.

Although the ISPR DG had stated that the briefing was on single-point agenda and he would not take any questions, a reporter asked him a query, in response to which he made it clear that the Pakistan Army was a unified entity under a single command and would remain so in future.

Earlier in the day, former National Assembly speaker and PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in a video message said that the Indian media was twisting his statement given in the National Assembly.

It was a reality, he added, that Prime Minister Imran Khan asked for an NRO for Abhinandan who attacked Pakistan and should not have been returned to India.

Ayaz Sadiq says Indian media twisting his statement to NA, says it’s a reality PM Imran Khan asked for NRO for Abhinandan who attacked Pakistan and should not have been returned to India pic.twitter.com/JR6hukAuZp

— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) October 29, 2020

Abhinandan did not come to distribute sweets, he had attacked Pakistan, the PML-N leader remarked.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan asked them about handing over Abhinandan to India through Qureshi after the meeting was delayed. “What was the reason behind the delay in the meeting? Was he taking dictation from Modi?”

On Wednesday, Ayaz had said in the House that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told them in the meeting that for God’s sake, let Abhinandan go, otherwise India would attack Pakistan at 9pm.

Whatever cowardice was shown by Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the matter of #Abhinandan or whatever the reason was to send him back, it was a state secret or at least not to be quoted stuff. Ayaz Sadiq shouldn’t have public it. Indians are ridiculing🇵🇰over it

pic.twitter.com/44zZdS5rgD

— Dr Shama Junejo (@ShamaJunejo) October 29, 2020