Lets talk: Pakistan PM Imran Khan tells India

Addressing the nation, Pakistan PM Imran Khan was quoted as saying by Geo News: "I wanted to take you into confidence regarding the situation arising since yesterday. We offered India that we are ready to cooperate with them in any kind of investigation after the Pulwama attack. I know the grief the families of [those killed in Pulwama attack] have been going through."

"Pakistan has suffered casualties in the past so we offered to cooperate with India. Because terrorism is not in Pakistan’s interests," he added.

"We had said that Pakistan would be forced to respond if India carried out aggression," he said.

“My question to the Indian government is that with the weapons you and we have can we afford a miscalculation? If it escalates from here where will it go? It won’t be in Modi’s or my control. I once again invite you to dialogue. Let me say again that better sense should prevail. We should resolve our problems through dialogue," Khan, who became the PM of the nuclear weapon armed nation last year following the general elections, said.

Development since morning:

Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it has shot down Indian jets as a retaliation to the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s  surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) days after the Pulwama terror attack. India, however, rubbishes the claim, according to media reports.

Pakistan said it shot down two IAF aircraft and arrested an Indian pilot.

In a statement, Pakistan claimed it has struck across the LoC from within Pakistani airspace.

Pakistan Armed Forces spokesperson, Major General Asif Ghafoor, tweeted, "In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts [sic] inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area."

Reports earlier said an Indian Air Force (IAF) jet crashed in central Kashmir district of Budgam on Wednesday.

The jet had taken off from Technical Airport in Budgam.

'The debris of the aircraft was found about 7 km from the airport in an open field,' the sources said.

Missing Indian pilot:

The Indian government on Wednesday confirmed that an Indian Air Force pilot, who engaged Pakistani jets that violated Indian airspace, is currently missing in action.

Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar was quoted as saying by media: "In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side."

"In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts, " he said.

Pak violates ceasefire:

A day after a surgical strike on a terror camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad by the Indian Airforce (IAF) inside Pakistan, the hostile neighbour's troops targeted Indian forward positions in Uri sector in north Kashmir on Wednesday, official sources said.

They said Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing towards forward Indian posts and civilian areas near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector in north Kashmir district of Baramulla.

Some of the shells landed in open fields without causing any damage, they added.

Sources said Indian troops also retaliated and the exchange of heavy fire continued. However, the damage suffered from across the border was not immediately known.

Meanwhile, with Pakistani jets reportedly violating Indian air space in Nowshera sector in Jammu region, the Srinagar International Airport was on Wednesday morning closed for commercial flights.

A UNI report said two pilots were killed when an Indian Air Force (IAF) jet crashed in central Kashmir district of Budgam.

Official sources said that the airport was closed due to ongoing Air Force operations at Srinagar airport. “Flights about to land were diverted back to New Delhi,” they said.

Meanwhile, passengers at Srinagar airport, said that announcement was made that the airport has been closed due to ongoing Air Force operations.

Image: PTI Twitter page