Pakistan deploys J-17 fighter jets at PoK's Skardu airbase; PAF carries out military exercises

Islamabad: As the India-China face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh remains unresolved, Pakistan is carrying out military exercises at its air force base at Qadri in Skardu of occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region. Pakistan has also deployed J-17 fighter jets at Skardu air base which carried out these exercises. 

Official sources said that Pakistan has been carrying out these military exercises on the instruction of China, which has been locked in a bitter standoff with India at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh since May this year.

Top official sources said Pakistan's Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan visited the base recently on July 24-25 as he held some important meetings and oversee the military exercises. The visit of Mujahid Anwar Khan at Skardu air base comes at a time when China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops remain in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Indian soldiers along the LAC in Ladakh.

Speculations are rife that Pakistan and China, the two allies, may attack from two fronts - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, respectively, and simultaneously to occupy vital parts of Indian territory.

Pakistan Army has been continuously violating ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir for last several months.

Official sources in New Delhi said that India is fully cognizant of Pakistan's military exercises at Skardu airbase. Meanwhile, Indian intelligence agencies along with the Air Force and Army are keeping a close watch on the movement of the Pakistani Air Force.

Skardu is a forward operating base of the Pakistan Air Force and it uses it to support its Army operations on the border with India.