Airspace violation: Indian spy drone downed in AJK

Army shoots down spy plane in Rakchikri sector; Pakistan opposes US military drones sale to India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army has shot down an Indian spy drone hovering over this side of the Line of Control after intruding into the Rakchikri sector in Azad Kashmir, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Friday.

“Indian quadcopter spying across LoC in Rakhchikri sector shot down by Pakistan Army shooters,” read a Twitter message from Major General Asif Ghafoor, the ISPR director general.

Pakistani troops seized the wreckage of the drone for analysis. The ISPR chief also shared pictures of the wreckage from the official DG ISPR Twitter account. One of the pictures showed a quadcopter with two broken propellers, and anther showed an item which appeared to be a camera or battery pack.

It was not the first time an Indian drone crossing over the LoC was shot down. On November 19, 2016, a similar incident happened at the Aagahi post area -- again in the Rakhchakri sector. Another drone, which was being used for photography, was shot down on July 15, 2015 in the Bhimber area.

The situation along the LoC is tense these days due to repeated ceasefire violations by India. In 2017 to date, 1,140 ceasefire violations have taken place along the LoC and the Working Boundary, according to the ISPR. At least 45 civilians have been killed and 192 injured due to the violations.



Drone sale opposition

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Friday warned that the US sale of military drones to India would not only undermine strategic stability in South Asia but could potentially lower the threshold for conflict between the two nuclear-capable neighbours.

Responding to reports that the US is planning to sell drones to India, Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria told reporters that Pakistan has consistently maintained that preserving regional stability should be a fundamental consideration in any international arms transfer.

“Extra-regional powers should be mindful of actions which can undermine strategic stability in South Asia,” Zakaria explained.

He then issued a word of caution to the US, insisting that the use of armed drones could lower the threshold for conflict as it could encourage military misadventures, especially against the backdrop of irresponsible discourse about limited military operations below the strategic threshold.

The spokesperson added that any transfer of armed drones should also be closely examined in the context of the guidelines of the multilateral export control regimes, including the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which places certain limitations on such transfers.

“Even if such transfers are below the prescribed thresholds, they definitely violate the spirit of the control regimes, which are aimed at controlling the proliferation of destabilising weapon systems, which can threaten regional peace and stability,” he said.



“We hope that the members of MTCR and other export control regimes fully understand their responsibility in not letting any country’s membership of such groupings constitute a carte blanche for proliferation of destabilising weapon systems.”

Commenting on the recent visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Zakaria said Pakistan and the US wished to strengthen relations based on better understanding of each other’s concerns and interests, and cooperation in diverse fields.

“During US Secretary Rex Tillerson’s visit to the country and talks with the prime minister, bilateral and regional issues were discussed,” he said.

“He [Tillerson] was informed about Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations and successes on which the US secretary acknowledged the country’s contribution and sacrifices in the fight against terrorists and the country’s strategic and economic importance in the region,” he added.



The spokesperson confirmed that Pakistan did raise the issue of Indian involvement in fomenting violence in the country with the US secretary of state.

Meanwhile, Dr Muhammad Faisal, director general of the South Asia desk at the Foreign Office, has been appointed as the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.

Faisal will replace Zakaria, who was recently appointed the ambassador-designate to Malaysia.