Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, on Monday cautioned the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officers that they should keep their ‘guard up’ as the challenges facing the nation ‘are not over yet’.

The air chief made the remarks during a visit to the forward operating bases (FOB), where, according to a PAF spokesperson, he met combat and ground crew, air defence and engineering personnel, security troops and civilian staff.

‘We bow our heads in complete humility and express our gratitude to the Almighty for giving us strength to come up to the expectations of our resilient nation,’ the air chief said, referring to last week’s repulsion of an Indian attack and subsequent shooting down of two Indian aircraft.

‘The entire nation is proud of PAF, which did exceptionally well in safeguarding the sovereignty of our country in the recent conflict with the enemy.’

One of the Indian aircraft’s pilots was captured by the armed forces before Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to repatriate him as a peace gesture, reports the dawn.com.

The move has largely dispelled an immediate threat of further escalations with India, but the chief of air staff has instructed PAF personnel to not let their guards down.

‘The challenges are not over yet, and we should keep our guards up and always be ready to respond to any aggression from the adversary,’ he said.

Last month, amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan following an attack on Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Air Chief Marshal Khan had said that the PAF would ‘thwart any misadventure by the enemy’ and was ready to respond to any incursion with full force as per the aspirations of the nation.