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ISLAMABAD, June 8: Islamabad has lodged a strong protest with New Delhi on the violation of Pakistan’s airspace by an Indian spy place on Friday, a Foreign Office spokesman said.
The Indian plane was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force on Friday at 2300 hours over Pakistan territory close to Lahore, the spokesman said in a statement issued on Saturday.
The incident reflected India’s disregard for international norms and the agreement on Prevention of Air Space Violation and for Permitting Over-flights and landings by military aircraft, signed between the two countries in April 1991, it said.
Indian First Secretary at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad Vikram Misri was summoned to Foreign Office on Saturday morning to convey Pakistan’s deep concern and strong protest on the deliberate violation of its air space by an Indian spy plane, the statement added.
RESTRAINT URGED: Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar urged restraint on Saturday after shooting down an Indian spy plane, adds Reuters.
Talking to reporters before meeting his Bangladeshi counterpart M. Morshed Khan, Abdul Sattar said: “Pakistan continues to exercise restraint and responsibility in order to prevent any aggravation of the situation.”
“In a situation like this, responsible states must exercise utmost care to ensure that no provocation be made that might lead to escalation,” he said.
DG ISPR: The Director-General ISPR, Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi, said on Friday evening that “despite Pakistan’s best efforts to de-escalate tension, India in complete disregard for international norms, continues ceasefire violations by firing across the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, causing civilian casualties.”
Talking to APP, Gen Qureshi said: “India has also violated Pakistani airspace, the proof of which has been the intrusion into Pakistani airspace by an Indian unmanned spy plane.”
Pakistan, he said has repeatedly conveyed to India that it does not want tensions to increase, “but if an Indian aggression is launched, Pakistan will defend itself.”
“Pakistan’s determination to defend every inch of its land and airspace has been proved by the downing of India’s spy plane,” the DG ISPR said.
Gen Rashid Qureshi asserted that “Pakistan reiterates that it will not tolerate any aggression.”
“We hope that India learns a lesson and stops violation of Pakistan’s land and airspace,” he said.
