With every nation, there are days when everything that it stands for is tested—days that can make or break the nation. Pakistan, although still young, has seen its fair share of such days. On February 27, 2019, one day after the unprovoked strike by India in Balakot, Pakistan faced such a day. Pakistan, however, refused to blink in the storm. Instead, what followed was a response that was as hard-hitting as it was measured. Calibrated, rapid, and unmistakably airborne, today marks the seventh anniversary of Operation Swift Retort.

The operation was designed not only to give a fitting reply to the unwarranted aggression but also to establish an impenetrable deterrent to ensure that such ‘limited’ cross-border intrusions came to an end once and for all.

The Pakistan Air Force was at the forefront of Operation Swift Retort, and once again, rose to safeguard Pakistan’s skies. The PAF is a force that has grown to ensure readiness long before the first bullet is fired or the first siren blares out its grim wail. A clear message was sent to the adversary by the aces of the PAF: our skies are not to be taken lightly; they are guarded relentlessly by men who are ready to take on any threat.

The spark that led to an inferno was the Pulwama suicide bombing on February 14, 2019. Allegations of Pakistani involvement in the heinous attack were hurled from endless Indian sources. The escalation eventually led to an Indian........

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