Islamabad: Pakistan put its military might on display on Wednesday with the country's Prime Minister and the army chief traveling to a strategic area close to the border with India to observe a military drill.
The exercise, which showed off both ground forces and Pakistan's air power, comes amid escalating tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi over Kashmir.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif watched the exercise — dubbed "Strike of Thunder" and complete with planes, tanks, artillery and other heavy weapons — to test the army's preparedness for any eventual hostile situation.
Pakistan openly admitted that they have acquired new WZ-10 Thunderbolt attack choppers from China. The helicopters are designed primarily for anti-tank missions.
The timing of the drill, which took place in the Khairpur Tamiwali desert area near the district or Bahawalpur, was particularly stark — just three days after Indian fire in Kashmir killed seven Pakistani soldiers in a new escalation between the two rival nations. The area lies 75 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of India.
Speaking to the troops, Nawaz Sharif paid a glowing tribute to the army chief and the country's military and reiterated his government's commitment to fighting terrorism.
Nawaz Sharif said the drills "reflect the preparedness of our armed forces to respond to any threat to national security" and that "no country can remain oblivious to threats to national security." He also issued a warning to India.
"The situation at the border remains sensitive due to India's grave violations of the cease-fire agreement," he said. "We cannot remain detached from recent developments in our region. Efforts by any country that harms Pakistan's security and territorial integrity will be met with a befitting response."
He said Islamabad is committed to following a policy of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and expects the same from others.
The latest Indo-Pak escalation was set off by a deadly September attack on Indian Army base in Uri. India has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack and others, charges that Pakistan denies.
India in recent weeks claimed it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan dismissed the claim and called on India to produce evidence to back it up.
The fire over the weekend that killed seven Pakistani soldiers was a shock in this country, where many consider the military all-powerful. But the army chief, speaking to the troops after Wednesday's drill, said that he does not believe in hiding troop casualties.
"We disclose when our soldiers are martyred," Raheel Sharif said, then added that Pakistan knows for a fact that India lost 40 soldiers in skirmishes in recent month — something New Delhi has not confirmed. The prime minister and the army chief, who share the same last name, are not related.
