World

Indian coast guard chief who boasted blowing up Pakistani boat sacked

BK Loshali had said last week that he had ordered an attack on the Pakistani boat as it approached Indian waters

Web Desk February 24, 2015

Indian Coast Guard officer BK Loshali. SCREEN GRAB

NEW DELHI: Indian Coast Guard DIG BK Loshali, who boasted blowing up a Pakistani boat on New Year's Eve, has been removed as Chief of Staff at Northwest region, NDTV reported on Tuesday.

He will face a Board of Inquiry at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Loshali said last week he had ordered an attack on a Pakistani boat as it approached Indian waters.

"I hope you remember the 31st December night. We blew off the Pakistan... we blew them off," he said in a video released by The Indian Express.

Read: Caught red-handed: Video shows Indian coast guard admitting to blowing up Pakistani boat

The comment triggered a huge controversy because it was contradicted with the government's version.

On January 1, Indian Coast Guard patrol vessels claimed to have intercepted ‘a suspicious Pakistani boat’ in the Arabian Sea, thwarting what the Indian security establishment said could have been another attempt to unleash a Mumbai-style terror attack.

At the time, Indian officials claimed that four men on board the vessel set it ablaze after an hour-long ‘hot pursuit’ by the Coast Guard. But Loshali contradicted the official version, saying he had in fact ordered the boat to be blown up.

Pakistan on February 21 said it stood vindicated in the “terror boat drama” staged by India on the first day of 2015, reiterating that neither was any of its boats missing nor was there any evidence to suggest that the vessel blown up by Indian coast guards was Pakistani.

Read: Staged encounter: India’s terror boat drama vindicates Pakistan: FO

“Having remained shrouded in mystery since day one, the drama of the so-called terror boat is now unfolding. The latest Indian media reports actually confirmed our findings,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters at a weekly media briefing.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also took notice of Loshali's remarks, saying that the incident “tore off India’s veil of being a peaceful country of the region.”

Read: Boat incident tears off India's veil of being peaceful: defence minister

“…Pakistan’s desire for peace and coexistence in the region must not be seen as our weakness. International community must also take notice of the incident which is tearing off India’s veil of being a peaceful country of the region,”a statement released by the Defence Ministry stated.

COMMENTS (24)

ABC | 9 years ago | Reply @M7: "On the contrary Pakistan’s involvement in Mumbai attacks is no secret. You be the Judge." Should I laugh at that? You own official accepted that it was an inside job. Get out from the state of denial. You are still thinking Mumbai attacks had a foreign hand and keep chanting shinning India, but in reality other countries dont even trust your diplomats. Remember what happened to the Indian diplomat lady in USA? Anyway she was another Indian criminal as usual

Aschraful Makhlooq PK | 9 years ago | Reply "NEW DELHI:Indian Coast Guard DIG BK Loshali, who boasted blowing up a Pakistani boat on New Year’s Eve, has been removed as Chief of Staff at Northwest region, NDTV reported on Tuesday." This definitely proves that India can't tolerate the truth and liar offices appointed on the key posts and ministers are India's most favorite and blue eyed persons.Good job Indian leadership and thus you are setting the new criteria and standards of continuing the jobs on the key posts.....

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Pindi Kid | 9 years ago | Reply @Usman: You continue to miss the point I and many others make, that is you cannot lump together Zia's dictatorship when political parties were banned and media was completely censored, with Musharraf's 7 years when he actually freed the media which flourished, and political parties continued to exist as they were (minus NS, Zardari, and Benazir who fled the country of their own will). Musharraf has stated over and over again he believes democracy is the answer for Pakistan. That's why his 7 years were more democratic than the 7 years since. Musharraf left after his supported party was defeated in elections - what can be more democratic than that? He resigned when it was clear the successful political parties did not want him as president. That's democracy not dictatorship my friend. So stop lecturing about democracy as no one disagrees. Musharraf did not destroy the political system - the same system existed in his time and still exists. He did not destroy the judicial system - same exists today. The only spat was with the CJP of the time and he is now completely exposed, so Musharraf is vindicated there as well. What electoral system's destruction are you talking about? Same existed before, during and after him. Fact is Musharraf built many institutions like HEC and SEC. Yours are mere words not based on facts. You quote the disastrous 7 years since Musharraf left, but what about the disastrous years before Musharraf? Who is to blame for those? If Musharraf and his party, with no political or economic training can do wonders for Pakistan in 7 years, then why can't the other political parties in 7 years since when they both have 2 previous terms experience? Musharraf is the one that inherited destroyed and bankrupt institutions like PIA, Steel Mills etc. These political parties inherited functioning, profitable ones in 2008 and then destroyed them. The problem with your simplistic argument is it is based solely on a label, that dictatorship is bad. Sure. But take off the label and you will find Musharraf's rule had all the hallmarks of a good fledgeling democracy, not of dictatorship.

Asok | 9 years ago | Reply @Gp65 The video just shows a boat on fire. Doesn't prove anything one way or the other.

AKA | 9 years ago | Reply what low lire skam do killing innocent people.

M7 | 9 years ago | Reply It was due to Pro-Pakistani political party in India - Congress - that this story was blown out of proportion. Let's assume Indians blew the boat. Is India known to blowing boats ? On the contrary Pakistan's involvement in Mumbai attacks is no secret. You be the Judge.

Usman | 9 years ago | Reply @Gp65: Don't worry, Indians always have the floor here at E.T. , and you don't need to give the fairness spiel, we know the standards at Times (read Tabloid) of India and The Hindustan Times (name says it all).

Usman | 9 years ago | Reply @Pindi Kid: Do I need to give you a list of why dictatorship is not good for any country? Do we need any more proof about how weak a country ruled by a dictator is after 2008? Jolt your memory, it was not that long when Musharraf came crashing down, bringing the rest of Pakistan down with him, that is exactly why dictatorships are harmful and very, very dangerous, because when they come down, what follows is chaos, as there are no institutions to take its place. . And please don't insult my intelligence by comparing Zia's dictatorship with Musharraf's, almost everyone knows the difference and similarities. . Musharraf was one of the best eras of economic growth, stability and prosperity for Pakistan, as was the case with previous Army takeovers. Do you really think people are that stupid and naive in Pakistan? Even a 10 year old will tell you what I'm writing here. But, it was a weak system, when it came crashing down, it brought NRO along with it, coupled with weak accountability (NAB), judicial, electoral and political infrastructure. This resulted in the worst 6 years in Pakistan's history, 2008 to 2014. . Dictatorships are always shortcuts, they are no solution to any problem. Only strong civilian institutions are the answer, only strong civilian institution will protect the public, the army and the country. . Don't get flattered, I didn't write this speech for your reading only, maybe this will enlighten some other Pakistanis as well who are always comparing Musharraf's dictatorship with democracy.

Pindi Kid | 9 years ago | Reply @Gp65: Your post makes little sense in explaining the lies of the Gvt. of India. It has been shown that the type of boat that is shown in the original video is not made/used in Pakistan but is commonly used in India. Moreover, the original video in no way proves this boat self destructed. So are you talking about another video that now proves your coast guard DIG is lying? And what motive would the DIG have to lie about the incident knowing fully well what story your govt. had told the world? So you are essentially saying he is some kind of Pakistani agent because he is falsely contradicting his own govt's accusation of Pakistan. How ludicrous! Whichever way you look at it India is exposed in front of the whole world.

Sam | 9 years ago | Reply Should the be charged with murder and conspiracy to defame a nation? Oh well I forgot biggest democracy in the world is not the most responsible one.

kishan | 9 years ago | Reply He probably got a job in the current government for this act. Its a promotion for like minded people in shining India

raider | 9 years ago | Reply @Gp65: only one question to you dear. why did that guy need to lie plz, comments

zara | 9 years ago | Reply ironically the same video never came out before his claim. For whole two months video wasnt shown? and funny thing is noone from our officials had in the beginning taken indian stupidity so serious to even respond back, when india had started boat drama. Another point. At that time when drama wss done pakistan was emotionally badly scarred n bruised cuz of our aps kids. Now the truth is out nd open. Just think how shameless they are, they didnt think of tragedy we were passing thru.

raider | 9 years ago | Reply now waiting truth about samjotha express and ajmal kasab be surfaced, ajmal s' pronunciation shahdi to sahdi i think is sufficient for being dummy as Pakistani guy

Gp65 | 9 years ago | Reply ET - you have allowed all kinds of accusations to ZIndia to be posted. Please allow a rebuttal in the interest of fairness. @Zara: do freedom of speech does not mean that criminals should be let go if they confess yo their crime. You are of course assuming that he was speaking the truth and did do what he said. He was however lying and bragging. His lies were revealed when the video was revealed by GoI which shows that the boat self destructed when it was challenged by the coastguard. So he was fired for lying. @Kam Where is the evidence of Modi's obsession with Pakistan, even assuming this story was correct? As it happens the actual video has been released by GoI that the boat self destructed when it was challenged by the Indian coast guard. In any case, India has free and fair elections, rule of law where people in power be they CM of a state, religious leader or a top level editor are punished when they break the law, opportunity for upward mobility for all regardless of their religion. If this is not democracy, what is? @Neo: The video has been released by GoI which makes it very clear that he was lying. But let us suppose got a moment that he was speaking the truth - should a perdon not be punished for destroying a boat ?

Kam | 9 years ago | Reply Yes so who was saying that India has ended its obsession with Pakistan???? This headline and behaviour of Modi government indicates otherwise. About democracy ? If i get food, shelter, employment, petrol, electric, gas, security, education, health and Justice then do i care rulers of my country are democratic, dictators or Royals? Probably not....

zara | 9 years ago | Reply Indian freedomof speech. A criminal minded navy officer fired for confessing crime.

Pindi Kid | 9 years ago | Reply @Usman: Maybe you are too young to know there are major differences between Zia's and Musharraf's rule. Unlike Zia, Musharraf deployed what would be called close to true democracy. Free media, people's representation at local level, funtioning and elected parliament, best governance in history, vast improvement in education, poverty level declining 12-15%, IMF loans repaid, economic boom. Compare that to today and what do we have? No one, including Musharraf, denies that it is democracy that will take Pakistan forward. You are naieve if you compare Musharraf's peaceful and vibrant, under the post 911 circumstances, rule to the arab kings. Ask yourself what did we not have in Musharraf's time that a good democratic system should have. Nawaz Sharif and Zardari? Good luck with that.

Usman | 9 years ago | Reply @saeed: And it is democracy we still want, as would any sensible nation willing to progress beyond the jokes like Hosni, Sisi, Saud, or Musharraf. It is democracy that teaches a nation to be responsible for its own actions, not rely on the Army (Pak), a Monarch (Arabs) to take out their dirty laundry. . However, we should now be willing to take the next step, and that is true democracy, not sham democracy, which is present today. What you're suggesting is 10 steps back, dictatorship, which sounds very very,.. very depressing, even as a suggestion. It would mean we would be back to where our parents started with Zia. I don't even want to think about it.

Ibrar | 9 years ago | Reply @Neo: When I watched him boasting about blowing Pak in that video I thought he was the worst example of an evil among Indians! I do not know what one would like to do to him if he was found out side his protected premises.

saeed | 9 years ago | Reply @Usman: Please don't complain. its the democracy we wanted (including lawyers, Judges and media).

Usman | 9 years ago | Reply This shows, among other things, how ineffective our own FO is (and I am talking about the Pakistani FO, even though more Indians comment are allowed than Pakistani by the mod). The FO should have investigated this incident when it happened. Rather, all it does is issue apologies, denials and rebuttals.

Ghost | 9 years ago | Reply Just like a bollywood movie this gentleman was in utopia until it all back fired...hahahaha

Neo | 9 years ago | Reply Good move by India...he deserves this sacking for speaking the truth.

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