Pakistan renews drone charges against India

In an ongoing spat with India, Pakistan Army has released footage from a small spy drone that it had shot down a few days back over the Line of Control (LoC). It claims to have enough evidence that the quadcopter was used by Indian Army to survey activities inside Pakistan. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) released a statement and video alleging that India had acquired the drone through a contractor before deploying it close to the LoC.

The ISPR also said that the footage showed Indian military headquarters as the drone flew over the post and surveyed the India side of LoC before crossing over the LoC to picture a Pakistani post. Barely days after the prime ministers of India and Pakistan met in the Russian city of Ufa, tensions have escalated between the two countries, with the hardline Pakistan military establishment suspected to have launched a backlash after the exclusion of Kashmir from the joint statement read out by foreign secretaries which focused on concerns related to terror.

The Pakistan army has also accused India of aggressive posturing through means such as enhancing aggressive troop movements at the LoC, extensive surveillance, targeting of civilians and an increase use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and drones that have allegedly violated Pakistan airspace.

After the meeting in Ufa, it was hoped that the strained relations between the two countries would be re-energised. However, recent developments, along with a terror attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab, may well lead to an increased hostility between both countries, undermining the spirit of the Ufa meeting.

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