In the media, the Pakistani foreign-office spokeswoman refused to state the military situation in the city. She also reiterated that Pakistan would not be on the receiving end of nuclear terrorism by India and reserved the right to use its own weapons in self-defense. When asked about India’s ‘no-first-use’ policy on nuclear weapons, the spokesman stated in thinly veiled anger to “ask the citizens of Lahore who’s families and livelihood has just been destroyed by Indian nuclear aggression”.
With official government websites and media remaining hacked for a second week, the Pakistani government accused the Indian military’s cyber-warfare command for causing the breakdown in essential government communications to its citizens, leading to social chaos and anarchy.
And the Indian media became unwitting proponents of the Pakistani plan as they lead the charge against New Delhi for what they called a “war of aggression” against a “misguided” neighbor. Protests in New-Delhi against “India’s war” turned violent as protesters clashed with nationalists in the streets. Riot police resorted to the use of rubber bullets and tear gas as similar protests spread to other cities.
The Pakistani ambassador in Washington D.C. stated that the nuclear strike on Lahore was India’s way of “reaping revenge” against innocent civilians in Pakistan to cover up New-Delhi’s failure in apprehending the real culprits. He also added that an attack such as the one in Lahore would “not go unanswered”. He asked New-Delhi to put an end to this ceaseless violence and pull back its forces across the international border and denied to respond to questions from the media on whether this attack on Lahore would lead to a nuclear counter-response from Pakistan. He said that since New-Delhi had “triggered the nuclear option”, Islamabad could not be held responsible if it felt it had to do the same to protect itself…
“As I have stated previously, the notion that we had anything to do with the nuclear detonation in Lahore is ludicrous!” Ravoof repeated for what he felt was the hundredth time in this press conference. “The Indian armed-forces had nothing to do with the attack. We can only presume that the explosion in Lahore was done by the same individuals who carried out the attack on Mumbai. The patterns are the same and so are the radiological signatures. Let me make this very clear:” he paused for effect, “this was not an Indian bomb. Period.”
He looked around to see the faces of the massed media personnel and cameras pointed to him and hoped that his body language was convincing. It had to be. Any indication of doubt on such a stage would take a life of their own. He did not want to get into a shouting contest with Pakistan with accusations and counter-accusations in spite of the facts.
“Yes.” He pointed to a raised hand from the journalists. It was one of the western correspondents.
“Can you comment on the rumors that India has carried out this nuclear attack in response to the massive resistance its forces have been encountering from the jihadists and the Pakistani army inside Lahore?”
Ravoof shook his head and tried to control his anger. Some in the western media were running with Islamabad’s version of events. “I have no comments on the military situation in Lahore. I doubt our military press conference in an hour will have anything else to add either. But as far as India is concerned, I should remind you that we have taken casualties in this explosion. The numbers are still rolling in and the list is long. So while self-infliction of wounds might be a strategy that Islamabad allows, we don’t do that. If this had been our handiwork, it would have been far more surgical, I assure you!”
Ravoof chided himself internally for that last remark. His tongue had slipped due to anger bubbling inside. Some in the media were out like ravenous wolves looking to implicate the “big-bad-neighbor” India. The Pakistanis were masters of lying through their teeth on the world stage. India wasn’t nearly as good as them. The smile at the corner of the western correspondent confirmed to Ravoof that his mistake had been caught…
“Next question.” Ravoof said, trying to move on. But the damage was done. The hands in the room raised in a flurry. He picked one at random. An Indian journalist this time: “what is the Indian government’s stand on withdrawing its forces back across the border, as Islamabad has demanded?”
“We will not respond to threats!” Ravoof stated flatly. “Our objectives are clear. The Pakistani military under the leadership of General Hussein has taken the onus of harboring and protecting the terrorists who struck Mumbai. They armed them with nuclear weapons to wreak carnage on a civilian population. They will be made to regret this decision. Our forces will destroy Pakistan’s ability to harbor terrorists as instruments of state policy. We are not after land or territorial gains here. But we will destroy Pakistan’s military threat. If the Pakistanis want to prevent this, they need to hand over the remaining survivors of the group that planned and executed the attack on Mumbai. We know the senior ISI commanders who were involved. Unless they are handed over to face trials for nuclear-terrorism and murder of innocent civilians, there is nothing left to say to us that will get us to back off from achieving our objectives our own way.”
40
“Rhino-alpha tanks! We are pushing on, on my mark!”
Kulkarni changed comms to his own tank: “ready?”
The driver chimed back: “ready, sir.”
“Then push on!”
The Arjun jerked and moved out of its position by the side of the road. It pitched up as it crushed over some abandoned civilian cars and then landed back on the road. Kulkarni was holding on to the rails through all this. Once they stabilized, he pulled up rhino comms again: “rhino-alpha tanks: execute! Bash on to the highway!”
He checked his sights and rotated it a full circle to see other tanks behind him taking position in the convoy on the road, merging in one behind the other to form a long line of tanks and other vehicles, moving west like a snake.
Kulkarni would have liked to spread the tanks out over a wider front than this road, but in this urban environment, the terrain prevented it. One thing was sure: they could not wait for the battle in Rahim Yar Khan to end before pushing on to the N5 highway, west of the town.
They were out of time.
The nuclear threat had materialized on the Punjab front with the detonation in Lahore. It was only a matter of time before it might happen here. And Kulkarni wanted to reach his pre-war objectives before the Pakistanis sapped his strength with nuclear weapons. He wanted his tanks straddling the highway to remind the enemy that this strategic lifeline had been cut by the Indians.
Kulkarni and Sudarshan also hoped that keeping the residual enemy forces inside the town in close proximity would force the enemy to refrain from nuclear warheads. Pak army units inside the town could not challenge Kulkarni’s heavy armor west of it, but they served as useful hostages to help prevent any nuclear strikes on rhino and trishul.
In theory. Kulkarni reminded himself.
His tanks were now operating in NBC conditions. The tank’s crew compartments were sealed and all radiological and chemical sensors were active and running. The turret was also now operating at a positive air pressure to prevent outside particulates from entering. His turret would remain closed now until the war was over.