Arup Raha
Arup RahaIANS

Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Arup Raha on Thursday recalled the year of independence for the country as well as its armed forces, and said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was a "thorn in our flesh" even to this day.

PoK has been receiving a lot of attention from India of recent. For starters, protests there against Pakistan, its policies and the brand of administration practised there have come under the world's scanner, with locals saying recent elections have been rigged. Also, politicians have been calling for Indian intervention in the region.

Speaking on Thursday, Raha, in a dig at Pakistan, said: "In 1947, raiders supported by the military and the government across the border tried to overrun Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Indian Army there did not have enough boots on the ground to react to this. The IAF's transport wing came to their help."

He added: "A large number of troops, military equipment, weapons and logistics were brought into many areas of J&K. Raider advances were stopped, and the IAF played a great role."

Speaking on the history of the current Kashmir situation, he said: "When we went to the UN for a peaceful solution, it was out of moral high ground. But the problem continues; PoK remains a thorn in our flesh even today."

The U.N. had at that time ruled in favour of a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, on condition that Pakistan pull out its troops first, followed by India. Pakistan never left.