Foreign media and diplomats taken to Balakot air strike site
islamabad — Pakistan has escorted a group of foreign journalists and diplomats to the site of an Indian air strike to show that, contrary to New Delhi’s claims, no infrastructure was damaged, the military spokesman said.
The visiting group, which MajorGeneral Asif Ghafoor said was mostly based in Delhi, was shown observing a crater in Balakot in video published via Twitter on Wednesday, on the eve of India’s election. The group saw the “ground realities” of the strike site, Ghafoor said in a caption accompanying the tweet.
The Director-General of Inter Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistani military, briefed the group about details of the event, negating repeated false Indian claims with ground realities, an ISPR press release said.
“Visitors were shown bomb craters of the Indian air strike attempts in barren open spaces with no loss of human life or infrastructure,” ISPR said. “The group also visited a nearby madrassa that India claimed it had struck and killed
scores of terrorists at.” The visitors, according to the ISPR, were allowed to interact freely with students and teachers and saw for themselves that the madressah, where “innocent local children were getting education, stood on ground and was untouched”.
The ISPR chief said that “India should accept the reality, stay a responsible state for peace in the region and look inwards to identify reasons for the out-of-hand situation in Indian occupied Kashmir.”
Later, the group also visited APS Swat, a state-of-the-art education facility with computer and science labs, auditorium and sports stadium. This was established by Pakistan Army as a gift for the resilient
Visitors were shown bomb craters of the Indian air strike attempts in barren open spaces with no loss of human life or infrastructure
Military statement
people of Swat in recognition of their contributions and sacrifices in defeating terrorism as terrorists had specially targeted educational institutions during the unrest.
The group also visited Sabaoon (morning light) de-radicalisation centre in Malakand, a rehabilitation facility for psychologically treating indoctrinated juvenile and help them return to normal life and become useful citizens of society.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has campaigned hard on what he claims is the success of the February 26 strike. Indian officials have claimed up to 250 militants were killed.
Pakistan has denied from the start that there was any damage or casualties, with Prime Minister Imran Khan framing it as an election ploy.
With the first phase of polls in India’s massive election opening Thursday, Modi has styled himself as India’s “chowkidar” (“watchman”), and anyone even questioning the action against Pakistan is given short shrift.
But independent reporting by multiple local and international outlets who have visited the site found no evidence of a major terrorist training camp — or of any infrastructure damage at all.
A reporter who visited just hours after the strike was carried out saw damage only to trees and one mud hut. Local residents have said no one was killed. —