CHANTILLY, VA, US: Discussions about what happened that fateful night of November 26 when Nato firepower killed our brave men in their posts will go on and there will be much finger-pointing. But I would like to ask a simple, hard question: where was our much-vaulted air force with their shiny new F-16s? How far is Peshawar when you can travel 500 knots per hour with your after-burners on in a flash? Three minutes? Maybe five?
Even if they were asleep again instead of doing their sacred duty to protect our airspace from intruders just as they were in the case of Abbottabad, with 120 million cell phones in the country did not someone make a call and wake them up? Was Peshawar unaware of what was happening, as has been suggested? How come the air chief has not said a word? Where were our airborne surveillance aircraft, paid for by the sweat of a million brows, who are supposed to patrol our skies day and night? Were they sleeping too? Taking a little downtime?
The stunning absence of any response from our side is tantamount to criminal negligence. The air force failed to do its duty to protect its men, our airspace and the people of Pakistan. They have much to answer for, provided we have the courage to ask.
Dr Meekal Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2011.
