Pakistan Admits To Role In Killing Of 40 Indian Paramilitary Personnel In 2019 Pulwama Attack Amid Pahalgam Heat

New Delhi: In a moment of showmanship amid the heat of tensions, Pakistan’s military brass admitted to its role in the killing of 40 paramilitary personnel in Pulwama in 2019. “We tried to tell them with our tactical brilliance in Pulwama…,” said Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed during a press conference on Friday. He is the Director General Public Relations for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Aurangzeb has not only destroyed the fig leaf that Pakistan was using over the Pulwama attack, but also the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The rare admission runs counter to Pakistan’s claim of innocence in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and the pretence of seeking evidence from India over its involvement.

“If Pakistan’s airspace, land, waters, or its people are threatened, there can be no compromise. It cannot go unnoticed. We owe it to our nation. The pride and trust the Pakistani people have in their armed forces is something we always uphold, at all costs.

We tried to convey that through our tactical brilliance in Pulwama; now, we have demonstrated our operational progress and strategic acumen. I believe they should take heed,” Aurangzeb Ahmed said on Friday, with DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and a Navy spokesperson by his side.

Pakistan demanded evidence and denied India’s charges, despite the JeM claiming responsibility. Pakistan’s denial persisted despite India’s dossier linking the attacker, Adil Ahmad Dar, to the JeM, whose headquarters in Bawahalpur, Subhan Allah camp, was turned to rubble by Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor.

Pakistan’s response led to an aerial dogfight and the capture of Indian fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. However, the air force officer was released by Pakistan days later, amid heightened tensions between both countries.