News
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Communications breakdown prevented PAF response: ISPRRAWALPINDI: A spokesman of ISPR said on Friday that remarks of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) about PAF had been misquoted in a section of the press. In this context, the exact quote of the COAS was, “The response could have been more effective if PAF had also joined in. However, it was no fault of PAF. A timely decision could not be taken due to a breakdown of communication with the affected posts and, therefore, a lack of clarity of the situation, at various levels, including the Corps Headquarters and GHQ”, the spokesman said.
The November 26 strike near the Afghan border sparked fury in Pakistan and further complicated US-led efforts to ease a crisis in relations with Islamabad and stabilise the region before foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan in 2014.
The military, in a statement, said that its response to the NATO strike could have been more effective had it been able to scramble its aircraft in time. Exactly what happened at the Pakistani posts along an unruly and poorly defined border is still unclear. Pakistan said the attack was unprovoked, with officials calling it an act of blatant aggression. US officials, quoted in the Wall Street Journal on Friday, claimed Pakistani officials cleared the air strike without realising they had troops in the area. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk