IB 71 2023

In 1971, the Intelligence Bureau receives critical information from its agents in East Pakistan about Pakistan and China’s launch of attacks on India within 10 days from bases in East Pakistan, with the aim of cutting off the North-east states from the rest of India. With limited time and resources, IB agent Dev tells his superior N.S. Avasti that the only way to counter this threat is by implementing a airspace blockade. This blockage would hamper movement of its air-fleet from West Pakistan to East Pakistan. Avasti, and the political superiors, deem it to be a violation of the Tashkent Agreement, and hence are reluctant. However, he persists by suggesting that the hijacking of an Indian plane by Kashmiri separatists and ensuring its landing in Pakistani territory can be used as a legitimate pretext to enforce a ban on the use of Indian airspace. Initially dismissed as an implausible scheme, the IB eventually recognizes its potential and agrees to execute a well-structured operation. Complications arise when the entire team of passengers, comprising intelligence officers, find themselves lodged in a Lahore hotel, where events unfold in unforeseen circumstances, thus deviating from the original plan.