Amid the rising tension between India and Pakistan, a high-ranking Pakistan Air Force officer openly admitted Pakistan's involvement in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF members were killed. The disclosure made at a media briefing in Islamabad on Friday has come as a huge diplomatic and strategic self-goal for Pakistan, which for years has strongly denied any participation. Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, Director General Public Relations of the Pakistan Air Force, made a statement that the Pulwama attack was an act of "tactical brilliance". The remark was made in open public view, in front of local and international media.

"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," Aurangzeb Ahmed said on Friday, with DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and a Navy spokesperson by his side.

"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," he added.

Pulwama Attack On 2019

On February 14, 2019, a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. The bombing claimed the lives of 40 Indian paramilitary troopers, provoking country-wide outrage and international criticism. While JeM took responsibility for the attack, Pakistan had consistently denied any state involvement. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan had already rebuffed India's accusation, going as far as calling for "actionable evidence. But now Ahmed's assertion openly contradicts Pakistan's official line for years, exposing the hypocrisy of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi regime.

India had retaliated against the Pulwama attack with "focused, measured and non-escalatory" air strikes on terror camps deep within Pakistan's Balakot area on February 26, 2019. The dawn raid saw 12 Mirage 2000 aircraft target JeM's biggest training camp. Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was taken into custody and subsequently released by Pakistan, amidst rising international pressure.

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Pahalgam Attack: Another Shadow of Pakistan’s Terror Tactics?

This public confession has also reignited suspicions around the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed. While Pakistan has denied involvement in this recent strike, Ahmed’s open bragging about Pulwama coupled with his reference to Pakistan’s “operational progress" and "tactical brilliance” points to a continuity in Islamabad’s terror blueprint. This admission is expected to raise diplomatic heat on Pakistan, particularly at international platforms such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the United Nations. The Indian government has not officially reacted to the development yet.

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