Copter with PoK ‘PM’ strays into Indian airspace

Jammu: A Pakistani helicopter carrying Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) “prime minister” Raja Farooq Haider Khan and his “information minister” Mushtaq Minhas violated the Indian airspace on Sunday along the line of control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir but turned back after it was “engaged by air sentries”, sources and the Army said.

Officials said a white helicopter crossed into the Indian airspace in Gulpur sector and hovered over there for sometime before turning back. Jammu-based Army PRO Lt. Col. Devender Anand said the helicopter violated the airspace around 12.10 pm. “Air sentries at forward location had engaged it with small arms,” he said, adding that it was most likely a civilian copter and was flying very high.

Three forward posts fired small arms after noticing the airspace violation, the sources said.

According to norms recognised by both India and Pakistan, helicopters are not supposed to come within one kilometre of the Line of Control or LoC, and fixed-wing aircraft within 10 km. In February, a Pakistani helicopter was seen flying 300 metres from the LoC. Mr Khan confirmed that he was in the helicopter but denied doing any wrong. “The Indian Army fired to show that Pakistan had violated their airspace. When the firing took place, we were within our own airspace,” reported Reuters quoting Mr Khan’s office.

He said that his helicopter was not armed in any way, and called for calm heads.

“We do not want any war hysteria in this region,” he said.

Mr Khan, it is learned, was in the area to attend the condolence meeting of his colleague. The private helicopter landed at Haveli helipad after the retaliation by the Indian Army.

For their engagement in Polasgayon village in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Mr Khan and his colleague had boarded the helicopter from Islamabad, sources said. After the firing by Indian Army posts their copter rushed back to Islamabad, they said.

Since the distance between Kahuta, a forward area, and Islamabad is shorter than the one between Kahuta and Muzaffarabad, PoK’s “capital”, most visitors from Muzaffarabad prefer taking helicopters from Islamabad to reach this destination instead of a direct flight from the “capital”, sources said.