In an apt response to a Pakistan Army officer flagging Indians’ critical remarks against its government, the Centre today said such criticism is the hallmark of any open and functioning democracy and added that Pakistan’s unfamiliarity with such a culture should not be surprising.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the chief of the Pakistan Army’s media arm ISPR, was addressing the press when he pointed to remarks by several Indians — politicians, social media influencers and the general public — criticising the government’s actions.

“The Pakistan Army spokesman seems to take great joy at the fact that the Indian public should criticise the government of India with regard to various issues. It may be a surprise to Pakistan to see citizens criticising their own government. That is the hallmark of any open and functioning democracy. Pakistan’s unfamiliarity with that should not be surprising,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a government briefing today.

While constitutionally a democracy, Pakistan’s history since its creation in 1947 is chequered by army coups and military rule. 

India has hit back hard after Pakistan’s drone attacks across the western sector. Indian fighter jets have carried out precision airstrikes on Pakistan Air Force bases in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala and Rahim Yar Khan. Pakistan’s military installations at Sukkur and Chunia, a radar site at Pasrur and the Sialkot aviation base were also targeted.

Addressing a government briefing with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said Pakistan continued to provoke India through aggressive actions along India’s western border. Pakistan used unmanned combat aerial vehicles, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter jets to target civilian areas and military infrastructure, she said. “Indian armed forces successfully neutralised these threats and majority of the vectors. However, limited damage was sustained to equipment and personnel at Indian air force stations at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj,” the officer said.

“In a swift and calibrated response, Indian Air Force carried out precision attacks only on identified military targets. These included technical infrastructure, command and control centres, radar sites and weapon storage areas. Pakistan military targets at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunia were engaged using air-launched precision weapons from our fighter aircraft. Radar site at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation base were also targeted using precision munitions. While carrying out these responses, India ensured minimum collateral damage,” Wing Commander Singh said.