Pak Air Force jets practice landing, takeoff on highway

Amid increasing Indo-Pak tensions following the Uri terror attack, Pakistani Air Force jets have been practicing landing and takeoff on a key highway in case of an emergency.

The Lahore-Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway was closed down yesterday for vehicular traffic to let jets of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) practice landing in the wake of any emergency.

However, according to the PAF, the fighters landed on the motorway as part of exercise 'High Mark', which was planned much before the Uri attack. As the busy motorway was closed for the exercise, all traffic was diverted to other roads.

"The defenders of our skies, in a state of constant readiness. Our motorways are our runways," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif tweeted. The closure of motorway came a day after airspace in the north near the Line of Control was closed and civilian flights suspended to all northern cities to let Air Force jets conduct exercises.

Pakistan has not officially confirmed any build up due to the rising tensions but officials have said that the armed forces are ready to counter any threat. Meanwhile, a leading Pakistani daily The News reported that Pakistani defence forces have made an operational plan ready to give a "befitting response to any misadventure from India and in case of a surgical strike from the enemy".

"Targets in India have been selected for an immediate quid pro quo," the paper said. "Pakistan is fully prepared to meet any military challenge from India. Our operational plan is ready, quid pro quo targets are finalised and forces have been dedicated," a defence source was quoted as saying.

18 soldiers were killed when Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists attacked a highly-guarded army camp in Uri in Kashmir on Sunday morning.