SOURCE: AFI
In a dramatic turn of events, in new revelations, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is grappling with a major shakeup among its top ranks, with two senior officers facing severe repercussions following their involvement in the 2019 Operation Swift Retort. According to a recent screenshot from Military Wiki, out of four key Air Marshals associated with the operation, the third has been jailed, and the fourth has been unceremoniously expelled from the PAF. This leaves only two of the original four still in active service,.
Operation Swift Retort was Pakistan’s military response to India’s airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist camp in Balakot on February 26, 2019, following the Pulwama attack that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. On February 27, the PAF launched a counteroffensive, engaging Indian Air Force (IAF) jets in a dogfight over the Line of Control (LoC). The operation resulted in the downing of an IAF MiG-21, with its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured and later released. India claimed to have downed a PAF F-16, a claim Pakistan has consistently denied.
The operation was initially hailed as a success by Pakistan, with the PAF claiming to have shot down two IAF jets (a claim later contested). However, recent developments have cast a shadow over the operation, as internal disciplinary actions within the PAF have come to light.
According to the Military Wiki screenshot, four senior PAF officers—all Air Marshals—who held key positions during Operation Swift Retort have faced significant consequences:
- Air Marshal Syed Noman Ali (Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Military), then Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Aerodynamic Complex), assumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS-AD) AHO in Islamabad on July 3, 2022.
- Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar (Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Military), then Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Administration), also took on the DCAS-AD role in Islamabad on the same date, July 3, 2022.
- Air Marshal Javad Saeed (Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Military), then Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), has been imprisoned, though the reasons for his incarceration remain undisclosed.
- Air Marshal Haseeb Paracha (Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Military), then Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Personnel), was “unceremoniously kicked out” of the PAF on September 9, 2022, under circumstances that have not been publicly clarified.
The screenshot highlights that only Air Marshals Syed Noman Ali and Zaheer Ahmad Babar remain in active service, with Javad Saeed in jail and Haseeb Paracha expelled. The reasons for Saeed’s imprisonment and Paracha’s expulsion are not specified, but speculation within military circles points to internal accountability measures, possibly related to operational or strategic missteps during or after Swift Retort.
The jailing of Air Marshal Javad Saeed and the expulsion of Air Marshal Haseeb Paracha signal a rare public acknowledgment of internal dissent or failure within the PAF’s leadership. Such actions are uncommon in military institutions, where discipline and unity are paramount. The lack of transparency regarding the reasons for these measures has fueled speculation, with some analysts suggesting that the officers may have been held accountable for operational failures, intelligence lapses, or even for the controversial claim of downing two IAF jets—a narrative that has been increasingly questioned.
The fallout also raises questions about the long-term impact of Operation Swift Retort on the PAF’s morale and credibility. While the operation was initially celebrated as a tactical victory, the imprisonment and expulsion of senior officers suggest that internal assessments may have revealed shortcomings that were not publicly acknowledged at the time.
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