Military capable of responding to any aggression: Pakistan air force chief

Islamabad: Pakistan is not worried at all about any threat from India and its "battle hardened" military is capable of responding to aggression, air force chief Marshal Sohail Aman said on Thursday.

"We are not worried about India at all," the Air Chief said, speaking at the ninth International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS).

He said it is better if India showed restraint and solved the Kashmir issue to prevent escalation of tension.

"India should show restraint and instead solve the issue of Kashmir as that would be better for them," he was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

Aman said that Pakistan does not want war but cannot ignore this kind of pressure. "We are well capable of responding in the face of any aggression," he asserted.

He said Pakistan had "readied all of its (battle) plans following threats from India" after the terror attack in Uri sector.

The Air chief asserted that Pakistan, engaged in Operation Zarb-e-Azab, has a "battle hardened military" to respond to threats.

The air chief's remarks came a day after Pakistan claimed that Indian forces targeted a passenger bus in PoK killing at least nine people and wounding another nine.

It also claimed that seven Indian troops were killed in retaliatory fire when India opened fire on the Line of Control (LoC) and killed three Pakistani soldiers.

Indian Army yesterday launched a counter offensive against Pakistan along the LoC after three Indian soldiers were killed, with body of one of them mutilated in a cross-LoC attack, even as Pakistani troops continued to shell Indian positions, injuring six jawans.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan will not tolerate "deliberate targeting" of innocent civilians particularly children and women, ambulances and civilian transport.

"Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint despite continuing ceasefire violations from Indian security forces along LoC," he added.