Pak chopper violates airspace in Poonch

JAMMU: In an incident that could have possibly led to far-reaching consequences, a private Pakistani helicopter carrying Raja Farooq Haider, the ‘Prime Minister’ of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on Sunday violated the Indian airspace in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC), making it 700 metres inside.

#WATCH A Pakistani helicopter violated Indian airspace in Poonch sector of #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/O4QHxCf7CR
— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2018

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 30

In an incident that could have possibly led to far-reaching consequences, a private Pakistani helicopter carrying Raja Farooq Haider, the ‘Prime Minister’ of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on Sunday violated the Indian airspace in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC), making it 700 metres inside.

Indian troops fired at the copter with small arms, mainly guns and mortars.

Lt Col Devender Anand, PRO with the Ministry of Defence stationed at Jammu, said a civilian copter, flying very high, violated the airspace. “Air sentries at a forward location engaged it with small arms.”

The copter remained inside the Indian airspace for a couple of minutes and then headed back to PoK.

Sources told The Tribune: “The PoK ‘PM’, Farooq Haider, who was in the area to attend a condolence meeting of his party activist, crossed the LoC inadvertently. He landed safely at the Haveli helipad.” However, Pakistani officials in Delhi claimed the copter was in the Pakistan airspace and that there was “no violation”.

As per the norms, India and Pakistan need to give prior information about the movement of their military aircraft in the area. This is, however, not mandatory for private civilian helicopters.

Taking to the social media, press secretary of PoK ‘PM’ Raja Wasim wrote: “Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir is alright and he is heading towards Islamabad from Samahani (sic).” This provoked interesting comments. “Thank God he is safe. But now Modi would have realised how surgical strike is carried. Ours was carried out by PM himself (sic),” observed a Twitter user. Another wrote, “Good to hear he is safe. But indeed the helicopter is of really very cheap quality.”

This is not the first incident of its kind. On October 24, 2017, a Pakistan army copter was spotted flying close to the LoC in Jhangar area of Nowshera sector in Rajouri. Prior to that on August 29, 2016, a Pakistan aircraft flew for a couple of minutes near the Arnia sector along the International Border.

Some days back, two Pakistan army choppers were seen landing close to the LoC across Poonch sector.