Pakistan, Feb. 27 -- The date, February 26th, 2019, became notable as the heavens above Pakistan transformed from an area of calm blue into the setting for airborne tension.

That morning, an unusual sound disrupted the quiet - a deep-throated sound of jet engines, not natural thunder, nor ordinary construction noises, but something clearly hostile, military in nature. I remember the newsroom freezing in place - the hasty morning activities halting, everyone locking eyes on screens, even seasoned journalists stopping mid-thought. The atmosphere itself seemed to grow heavy as initial, unclear reports started to sketch a troubling scenario. Warplanes from India. Border crossed at the Line of Control. Strikes near Balakot, inside Khyber Pakh...