PAF holds impressive air show to mark OSR’s first anniversary

Staff Reporter A magnificent air show was conducted under the auspices of the Pakistan Air Force at sea view area of the city on Thursday to mark the first anniversary of the Feb 27 ‘Operation Swift Retort’ (OSR). PAF fighter planes JF-17 Thunder and F-16 participated in the air show and performed flying maneuvers. A large number of people, including women and children watched the show with great interest. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail and Corps Commander Karachi Lieutenant General Humayun Aziz were the guests of honour on the occasion. February 27, 2019, was a memorable day for Pakistan as Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shattered Indian dream of invincibility and military supremacy by shooting down two Indian aircraft and above all capturing an IAF pilot. Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control in the last week of February and the country’s military claimed to have conducted a “surgical strike” in Balakot area in Pakistan. New Delhi also claimed to destroy a terrorist camp with 300-350 casualties in the attack. Pakistan denied the claim, saying neither was there any camp nor any casualty. Independent reports, including high resolution satellite images reviewed by Reuters, also contradicted the Indian claims. Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets on the other day crossed the LoC in a tit-for-tat move to Indian territory, and in a dogfight an Indian MiG-21 was shot down on the Pakistani side of the border. After striking down the Indian fighter jet, Pakistan arrested the pilot, who ejected himself after being hit in the airspace of Pakistan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir — something that came as an unexpected setback for India exposing the country’s claims of invincibility and supremacy in the military power. Pakistan Air Force in a recent exhibition of the parts of the Indian MiG-21 warplane shot down by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on February 27 last year also shown the four missiles, which could not be fired by the pilot during the air clash on the fateful day.