300 killed in Balakot attack: Former Pakistani diplomat

Pakistan has so far claimed that no one was killed in the airstrikes carried out by the Indian Air Force on Balakot terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), in retaliation for the Pulwama attack on February 26, 2019. However, Agha Hilali, a former diplomat in the country, now admitted that about 300 terrorists had been killed.

Hilali is an active participant in Pakistani TV talk shows and admitted that about 300 terrorists had been killed in the attacks. ‘India has launched attacks crossing the international border. At least 300 people were reported dead”, he said.

Hilali claimed that their goal of retaliation was different. “Our aim is their high command. That is our legitimate goal. Because they are male soldiers. We unintentionally accepted the surgical strikes. No casualties were reported due to this limited action. What we are saying now is that whatever they (India) do, we will respond in the same way but not in any excess ” said Agha Hilali.

On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Ayaz Sadiq made key remarks in the country’s National Assembly in October 2020 on the handing over of Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan, who landed in Pakistani territory after his MiG plane crash during the surgical strikes.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at an important meeting that India would have launched an attack on Pakistan at 9 pm that night had the Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan not been released.

Shah confirmed that the Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa’s legs trembled when he was told that India was preparing for an attack, and hence Abhinandan was handed over to India. The latest comments made by Agha Hilali justify this.