Incident
The Incident:
An unarmed Pakistan Navy Atlantique aircraft was shot down while on a routine training mission within Pakistan airspace, by two Indian fighters on Tuesday 10 August 1999, killing all 16 officers and sailors on board.
As per Pakistan Navy, the Indian action was unprovoked and without warning. The downed plane was on a routine mission and had departed from PNS Mehran at 0915 hours for a four hours flight. Its last communications was with control tower at Karachi Airport at 1055 hours, after which it went missing. A reconnaissance flight sent to investigate found the wreckage of the downed aircraft 120 miles southeast of Karachi at SirCreek near Badin. The wreckage was scattered over a large area and there were traces of blood in pools of water. The plane wreckage had created at least three big craters in the marshy area, and the helicopter that took the photographers of world media, including BBC and Reuters, found a sizable part full of red water, believed to be the blood of those onboard.
The wreckage of the aircraft was located two miles inside the Pakistani border. Local and International media people were taken to the site where the wreckage of the aircraft was located and the area was accurately identified as Pakistani territory. Indian helicopters were noticed near the Pakistan-India border and wreckage of the downed plane was taken by them. After stationing of Pakistani Naval Personnel at the site, any further attempt to remove wreckage was foiled.
The Pakistan Navy said it was certain two Indian fighters had been involved in the incident since Pakistani radar detected the takeoff of two Indian jets. The unarmed aircraft was on a routine training flight in a designated training area. Atlantique is not a fighter plane.
The names of the 16 martyred personnel onboard were Lieutenant Commander Mahboob Alam, Lieutenant Farasat Ali Shah, Lieutenant Rizwan Masood, Lieutenant Azhar Hussain, Lieutanant Zarar Ahmad, Sailor Mohammad Tariq, Sailor Nawazish, Sailor M Hussain, Sailor M Sarwar, Sailor Aftab Ahmad, Sailor M Riaz, Sailor Wahid Iqbal, Sailor M Hafeez, Sailor M Yasin, Sailor S Mehmood and Sailor Masood.
PAKISTANI STATEMENT:
A Pakistan Navy statement issued to journalists said:
Today at noon, India sent up two fighters and shot down a Pakistan Navy Atlantique aircraft that was unarmed and carrying out routine training for junior officers inside Pakistan airspace and under Karachi Airport's Air Traffic Control.
This unprovoked action without any warning is the most cowardly and hostile act that belies the Indian government's statements that it is seeking to build an atmosphere of trust. The 16 brave officers and sailors on board have given their lives for the nation. These Shaheeds will live on with the complete love, affection and respect of the Pakistan Navy, the Armed forces of Pakistan and the nation.
The wreckage has been located inside Pakistan territory. The enemy has repeatedly through its statements of Indian naval leadership, shown hostility, attempting to enlarge the conflict to maritime sphere.
The Pakistan government's restraint has been reiterated by our government and planners. However, the responsibility of this action lies squarely on the Indians who have yet again shown themselves to be the enemy."
UNITED NATION AND STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENTS:
At United Nations, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan regretted ' the loss of life following the downing of a Pakistani aircraft by the Indian airforce." At the regular noon briefing, spokesman Fred Eckahrd read: " He (Secretary General) is increasingly concerned at repeated incidents between India and Pakistan and urges that the differences between them be resolved by peaceful means. He calls on both countries to exercise maximum restraint."
The State Department on Tuesday termed the shooting down of the Pakistani plane by India as "tragic", adding, "such incidents illustrate the state of high tension between the two countries."
Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz sent letters to the President of the Security Council and the Secretaries General of the UN and the OIC, calling their attention to the unprovoked act of Indian military aggression in shooting down of the unarmed plane. The Indian high commissioner was summoned to the Pakistani Foreign office and a strong protest was lodged over the unprovoked shooting down of the unarmed aircraft, which was on a routine training flight.
The high commissioner was told that this blatant and unprovoked act of military aggression against an unarmed aircraft is a flagrant violation of international norms relating to the inviolability of international frontiers as well as bilateral Pakistan-India agreement of April 6, 1991, on the prevention of airspace violations.
INDIAN STATEMENT:
Following is the statement released by the Indian government on Tuesday 10 august, 1999 on the shooting down of the Atlantique aircraft:
"At 1115 hours (0545 GMT) this morning, a Pakistani naval antisubmarine warfare and maritime reconnaissance aircraft called Atalntique intruded 10 Km into Indian territory in the area of Kori Creek. A MiG -21 of the Indian Air Force intercepted and shot down the Pak aircraft.
The intruding Pakistani aircraft was detected by IAF ground radars and was intercepted 10 km south of the international border. When the IAF fighters closed in to identify and signal the intruding Pakistani aircraft to force it to land at an Indian base, the Pakistani aircraft acted in a hostile manner by turning into our fighter. At that stage, the Atlantique was shot down by an air to air missile which hit the aircraft on the port engine which caught fire. The wreckage has been found by IAF helicopters, 2 km on the Indian side of the international border."
BURIAL:
Namaz-e-Janaza of 16 navy officials was offered at PNS Mehran. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Fasih Bokhari, Chief of Air Staff, Corps Commander Karachi, Sindh Governor, senior serving /retired armed forces officers, a large number of other ranks and elite of the city attended the Namaz-e-Janaza. Later, the Prime Minister and the chief of naval staff met with the next of kin of shuhada and paid rich tribute to the supreme sacrifice rendered for the country.
The coffins of shuhada were later flown to their native places in special aircraft. The bodies of three officers and two sailors arrived through a C-130 plane of PAF at Chaklala Air Base on Thursday, 12 August 1999. Vice Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza, Secreatary Defence, Vice Chief of Army Staff, Vice Chief of Air Staff, officers of the armed forces, jawans, relatives of martyrs besides a large number of people attended the prayers offered for the martyrs at PAF Base Chaklala. The martyrs were Lt Commander Mehboob Alam (Khushab), Lt Farasat Ali (Peshawar), Lt Azhar Hussain (Bhimbar, AJK), Sailor Mohammad Tariq (Attock) and Sailor Wahid Iqbal (Malakand). After the prayers, the bodies of martyrs had been sent to their native areas where they were buried with full military honours.
In Lahore, one of the martyr Lt Zarar Ahmad Bin Mansoor was laid to rest in a local graveyard, beside his grandfather's grave, with full military honours. Earlier, the Namaz-e-janaza of the Shaheed Lt Zarrar was offered at Children Park near his residence, in which the Punjab governor, high navy and army officers, jawans and general public participated. Lt Zarar's colleagues also met with his mother and exchanged views with her. Two navy officers who were also scheduled to fly with Lt Zarar but dropped at the eleventh hour were also present there. Earlier, the body of Sahaeed sailor Ahamd Hussain was also received here along with the body of Saheed Lt Zarar. However, the body of Hussain was taken to Zafarwal, his hometown.
The bodies of five navy sailors were brought to Multan on two special planes and were buried at Multan and Bahawalpur divisons with full military honours. A number of army and civil officers participated in the funeral. The martyrs were Nawazish Ali of Vehari, M.N. Masood of Ahmedpur East, Aftab Ahmad of Burewala, M. Yasin of Mian Channu while another sailor belonged to Chicawatni.
