Pakistan today conducted a successful launch of the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Hatf IV Shaheen-1 Weapon System. The missile incorporates series of improvements in range and technical parameters of the existing missile. It is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 900 Kms. Today’s launch, whose impact point was at sea, was witnessed by Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutenant General (Retired) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Chairman NESCOM Mr Muhammad Irfan Burney and other senior military officers, scientists and engineers.
Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutenant General (Retired) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai congratulated all scientists and engineers on the successful launch. He said that the improved version of Shaheen 1 has consolidated and strengthened Pakistan’s deterrence abilities manifold. He appreciated the efforts of all personnel for their dedication and professionalism.
Pakistan and China have jointly won a coveted Award in Zhuhai for the
close cooperation in the promotion of Aviation Industry, a day before
start of the bi-annual International Air show.
The
“Airspace Laureate 2012 Awards” was jointly received by Chief Project
Director of JF-17 Program Air Vice-Marshal Javed Ahmed, who is in Zhuhai
with Pakistan Air Force contingent taking part in the international air
show and from Chinese side Mr.Li Pei, Chief Project Director of China
National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) in the
presence of a large number of guests.
"This is a big
achievement and acknowledgement for Pakistan and China for cooperation
in their joint effort for the promotion of aviation industry”, remarked
Group Captain Tariq Mahmod, Director Media, Pakistan Air Force
whiletalking to APP.
The situation today has made it clear of who stands on which side, deciding to support which agenda in political, economic and military aspects of our nation. People living in or out of Pakistan have been criticizing the Army And ISI; the two pillars on which Pakistan is standing after all the indignant acts of our politicians, the people purchased by them and our innumerable enemies who have disguised themselves in order to infiltrate between us to weaken our vision of optimistically working for the prosperity of Pakistan and introducing the rightful system of caliphate. The media is doing the best it can to literally murder our ideology but it's only the weak who get deviated. By the grace of Allah we have been blessed with one of the finest armies in the world who continue to have an incredible performance today and throughout history even when outnumbered.
Pakistan Army maintained division and brigade strength presences in some of the Arab countries during the past Arab-Israhelli Wars, and aided the Coalition in the first Gulf War. Other major operations undertaken by the Army include Operation Black Thunderstorm and Operation Rah-e-Nijat. Apart from conflicts, the Army has been an active participant in UN missions and played a major role in rescuing trapped American soldiers from Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 in Operation Gothic Serpent.
Kashmir War in 1948 convinced India that Pakistan is certainly not an easy target. The Indian Cabinet in New Delhi had decided to destroy and undo Pakistan by economic and military means which resulted in a full-scale war. On August 1948, the first anniversary of Pakistan, General Headquarters sent the following message to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: " Loyal and grateful greetings from the Army on the first anniversary of Pakistan. We serve and shall serve Pakistan with all our hearts and souls. Pakistan and its Creator Zindabad." On 14th December India was taken by surprise in a pre-attack artillery bombardment the Beri Pattan bridge area containing ammunition, rations, petrol and supplies in a two-mile area was totally destroyed together with Indian divisional Headquarter, isolating the Indian forces in that sector.
On 30 December, India asked for ceasefire with effect from 1 January 1949 which was accepted as now the fate of Jammu and Kashmir was taken over by the UN. However, India didn't step back and concentrated on Pakistan‘s borders and transgressed into Azad Kashmir and West Pakistan territory forty eight times. The Indian Air Force violated Pakistan 's air space thirty times thus bringing the two countries very close to another all out war. Than on September 6, 1965, without a formal declaration of war, Indians crossed the international border of West Pakistan and launched a three-pronged offensive against Lahore, Sialkot and Rajasthan. On 7 September a single Pakistan Air Force Pilot, Squadron Leader M.M. Alam, Sitara-i-Juraat, in his F-86 Sabre shot down five Indian Air Force attacking Hunter aircraft in a single sortie, an unbeaten world record “On night 6/7 September three teams of our Special Services Groups were para-dropped on Indian Air Force bases at Pathankot, Adampur and Halwara to neutralize them.
The biggest tank battle since World War II was fought on the Chwinda front by 6 Armoured Division with under command 24 Infantry Brigade Groups and valiantly supported by 4 Corps Artillery (Brigadier A.A.K. Choudhry, Hilal-i-Juraat). The main effort of the Indian Army was blunted, inflicting heavy troop casualties on the enemy. Pakistan Air Force support helped turn the tide of the battle. Before a counter offensive by 6 Armoured Division on 22 September could be launched, Indian cowards asked for cease-fire in the United Nations. Pakistan Army captured 20 officers, 19 Junior Commissioned Officers, and 569 Other Ranks.
1965 War, the Inside Story by R.D. Pradhan:
In Chapter 8 titled “Of Cowardice and Panic”, the author describes the cowardice of Maj. Gen. Niranjan Prasad, the Indian general commanding officer in Lahore sector. When the general was fired upon by Pakistani forces, he “ran away”.On learning that, Lt. Gen. Harbakash Singh and the corps commander drove in a Jonga to the battlefront. Army commander found that the enemy (PAF) air attack had created a havoc on G.T. Road. (Indian) Vehicles were burning and several vehicles of 15 Division abandoned on the road, the drivers having run away, leaving some of the engines still running. Maj. Gen. Niranjan Prasad was hiding in a recently irrigated sugar cane field. As described by Harabakash Singh: “He (Prasad) came out to receive us, with his boots covered with wet mud. He had no head cover, nor was he wearing any badges of his rank.He had stubble on his face, not having shaved.” Seeing him in such a stage, Harbakhash Singh asked him: “Whether he was the General Officer commanding a division or a coolie? Why had he removed badges of rank and not shaved? Niranjan Prasad had no answer.”
War of 1971 is another piece of history of the Pakistan Army when they were badly outnumbered against the Indian army who set their filthy eyes on East Pakistan. By October India's immoral covert armed terrorists had concentrated four times our strength in over 12 divisions (400,000) supported by five regiments of tanks, and about 50,000 activists trained and equipped by Indian Army. Indian Navy's one aircraft carrier, eight destroyers/frigates, two submarines and three landing crafts, against our four gunboats, eight Chinese coasters and two landing craft supported them. Eleven Indian Air Force squadrons – 4 Hunter, 1 SU-7, 3 Gnat and 3 MiG 21 – from five airfields around East Pakistan faced our one valiant Number 14 squadron of F-86F Sabres based on a single airfield around Dhaka . Pakistani soldiers fought against heavy odds, inflicting heavy casualties, bloodied but "unbowed” when an Indian commander, through a messenger asked for our Jamalpur battalion to surrender, encircled by two brigades, the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sultan Ahmad, Sitara-i-Juraat of 31 Baloch replied in a message wrapped around a bullet which read, “I want to tell you that the fighting you have seen so far is very little; in fact the fighting has not even started. So let us stop negotiating and start the fight.” India attacked West Pakistan. Fighting against overwhelming odds in both wings of the country raged with full fury. Before our counter offensive could be launched in West Pakistan , India asked for cease-fire in the United Nations, yet again.
The Ghazis and Shaheeds proved in their supreme hour of trial all the military virtues of Faith, Honour and the spirit of Jehad. On 4 December 1971, the United States of Zionism moved a draft resolution calling for cease-fire and withdrawal of Indian forces, which was vetoed by Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Thereafter, another six resolutions including one by China were introduced calling for cease-fire and withdrawal of forces, some of which were accepted by Pakistan. However, due to behind the scene political machinations by India and her allies their passage and implementation was stalled till Dhaka fell on 16 December 1971 and the cease-fire had been perfidiously converted to surrender. “I took a careful look at the documents and was aghast to see the heading – which read Instrument of ‘Surrender'……”, writes Lieutenant General J.F.R.Jacob, Chief of Staff, Indian, Eastern Army. (Lieutenant General J.F.R.Jacob, “Surrender at Dacca : Birth of a Nation”)
2 Indian fighters destroyed in Kargil
In Kargil in 1999 a fierce battle was fought between the two enemy countries which started because of the extreme weather conditions in Kashmir as it was a common practice of both the armies to leave the forward posts and reoccupy them after the extreme conditions. Fortunately in May 1999, the Pakistan Army reoccupied them earlier than the Indian Army, thus inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy.
The Indian Army was humiliated as there was a shortage of coffins for their dead soldiers who were disowned since the dead bodies were not even collected and consequently rotted. The Indian media has been creating stories of bravery as per their side but the following video narrates the real story quite well:
The Special Services Group ranks 3rd in the world which is similar to the USZ army special forces known as the Green Berets and the British Army's SAS. It has conducted a number of operations including Operation Clean Wash to destroy a group of terrorists in Makkah in 1979 after the Saudi forces were unsuccessful.The Pakistan Army trains and carries out joint military exercises with the Muslim armies of the world. And yet people have forgotten of these miraculous stories and chosen the easier way rather than standing firm on the right side of the valiant. It's not hatred of why the Muslim Ummah around the world is under attack but fear that slowly poisons our enemy of the day we'll learn to stand up as one Ummah. We're under attack mentally and physically, people who degrade the Army and ISI are just too determined to make a nuisance of themselves. Millions of Muslims have sacrificed their lives around the world in the name of Islam, as freedom wasn't gifted to us in a golden platter. Do not dare to disrespect them.
Pakistan was born when it seemed impossible, we became a prestigious nuclear state when it seemed quite so impossible and now will you back off when it's time to redeem our destiny when it again seems impossible? Pakistan is just the beginning of a new Muslim Order in the world.
President PEW Dr. Murtaza Mughal, Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Monday said that country is passing through a critical stage and propaganda against armed forces and ISI at this critical juncture amounts to treason. According to press release issued here on Monday, Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW said that we reject deadly propaganda against armed forces and ISI which is a conspiracy to brainwash common people to create a rift between masses and the national security institutions. Every Pakistani condemns the unholy moves to discredit the guardians of ideological and geographical borders, he said while speaking at Bedari Fikr Forum.
Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW)
All patriotic Pakistanis should give a strong message that whole nation stands by army; he said adding that adversaries are cultivating doubts aimed at weakening the country. Dr. Murtaza Mughal called upon the masses not to succumb to the propaganda and reject the scenario painted by international media, think tanks, research institutes, intellectuals and paid studies that have no worth, he said.
In 1947 and 50s, many politicians and intellectuals had described Pakistan as an economically, geographically, politically, and culturally unviable state ; they are all dead now but the country is still on the map, he said. He said that a dozen countries have initiated their proxy wars in Pakistan therefore we should support institutions that are fighting for our survival. Armed forces and ISI commits mistakes, sometimes very serious, but these issues should not be used to demoralize them as it will hurt supreme national interests. They can be hold accountable once situation returns to calm. Giving examples of many recent incidents he said that all seems to be part of a conspiracy to defame national institutions of vital importance. Spy agencies of enemy nations have been engaged since long in violent subversive activities to create social and political unrest in Pakistan but they have achieved nothing. No doubt that country is passing through difficult times but the adverse propaganda against Pakistan’s Army and wrong conclusions about Pakistan’s future that is creating frustration and low morale must come to a halt, he said.
This is a brief and a beautiful tribute to the Armed Forces of our sacred Land; Pakistan. In these crucial times when the entire sold out media remains disloyal to the country and continues decrying the Armed forces, the Patriots must stay loyal to this land and must contribute in patronizing the Armed Forces of Pakistan as much as possible.
Pakistani pilots flying modernized versions of the 1970s-vintage F-16 Falcon fighter have beaten the RAF's brand-new Eurofighter Typhoon superfighters during air combat exercises in Turkey, according to a Pakistani officer.
This interview with an unnamed but evidently experienced Pakistani Air Force (PAF) F-16 pilot on exchange with the Turkish air force, posted on the official site of the PAF display team, includes the following intriguing passage. (Hat tip to the excellent DEW Line blog for flagging this up.)
Q: Any memorable experiences that you would like to share?A: On one occasion – in one of the international Anatolian Eagles - PAF pilots were pitted against RAF Typhoons, a formidable aircraft. There were three set-ups and in all three, we shot down the Typhoons. The RAF pilots were shocked.
Q: Any particular reason for your success? A: NATO pilots are not that proficient in close-in air-to-air combat. They are trained for BVR [Beyond Visual Range] engagements and their tactics are based on BVR engagements. These were close-in air combat exercises and we had the upper hand because close-in air combat is drilled into every PAF pilot and this is something we are very good at.
The Anatolian Eagle air-combat exercises are hosted by the Turkish air force and would have seen Pakistani pilots on exchange with the Turks flying modernised Turkish "Block 50" F-16s, a much-upgraded version of the original US made 1970s Fighting Falcon, which is now in service with many air forces and assembled under licence in various countries including Turkey.
At least 17 CIA-RAW backed khawarji terrorists of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have been killed in upper Orakzai Agency in air strike by Pakistan Air Force. According to the officials, PAF jets targeted several hideouts of the CIA-RAW backed TTP in Mamuzai area earlier on Tuesday morning.
Reports add that at least 17 terrorists were killed in the attack besides 5 hideouts of the militants were completely wrecked.
Pakistani fighter jets pounded militant hide-outs in the country's northwestern on Friday, killing 23 suspected insurgents, a government official said. Local government official Javed Khan said the attacks targeted insurgents in the Orakzai and Kurram tribal regions close to neighboring Afghanistan. The jets also destroyed some anti-aircraft guns positioned on high ground, he said. Pakistani security forces have carried similar air strikes in both tribal regions since militants moved there after fleeing an army offensive last year in nearby South Waziristan.
Pakistan has the capability to shoot down CIA-operated drones, former Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) head Dr Samar Mubarak Mand has said. Talking to media persons, the nuclear scientist said that Pakistan had F-16 fighter jets, which were capable of shooting down any kind of drone predators. He reminded that an Israhell-made Indian drone, which had been sent to attack Lahore, was successfully knocked down by Pakistan several years ago, The Nation reports.
Dr Samar also observed that it was a strategic issue, therefore the final decision in this regard rested with the government. It is noteworthy that similar statements had been issued time and again by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman that Pakistan is capable of shooting down the USZ predator aircraft. But such claims are in direct contrast with Pakistan puppet Interior Minister Satan Malik’s statement that the Pakistan Air Force cannot shoot down unmanned USZ drones. Malik said recently that the altitude of the drones is much higher than that of Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets.
“Our effort remains focused on finding a diplomatic solution to halt drone attacks. We feel they are counter-productive. Drone missiles cause collateral damage. A few militants are killed, but the majority of victims are innocent citizens”, the puppet Minister added.
Reports from Mianwali say that Pakistani security forces have apprehended an alleged terrorist right in front of the entrance gate of Pakistan Air Force HQ. Two hand grenades and a fully loaded pistol was also recovered from the terrorist. According to details, Mianwali Police Check Post and PAF Check Post officials yesterday (Friday) in the morning at 8:00 am stopped a Qing Qi Rickshaw near the PAF gate for checking and frisked the suspected person who was boarded on the rickshaw.
During checking, the security forces recovered two grenades and a pistol from the terrorist (Hakeem Khan). After the preliminary investigation, Police has revealed that the alleged terrorist Hakeem Khan is resident of Kundoz district Imam Sahib of Afghanistan. Police has also recovered fake Identity Card of Chakwal from the alleged terrorist. Police sources said that Hakeem was trying to enter inside the gate of PAF but failed in doing so. Final reports said that the investigation is still underway.
The Pakistan Air Force is stronger than ever. Since the last Indo-Pak air war of 1971, the Pakistan Air Force has with steely determination built up numbers, lethal capabilities and a combat force now counted as one of the most disciplined and well-trained air forces in the world. India's Headlines Todayhas a disturbing proof that all this has made India worried. A recent presentation by the Indian defence intelligence establishment paints a morbid picture of how the numbers and capability advantage that the Indian Air Force has always found comfort in is rapidly slipping away.
Headlines Today has accessed the recent presentation made to the Indian Ministry of Defence. The document makes singularly ominous projections. The most glaring warning is about combat force ratio. The presentation says that the ratio of 1:1.7 is likely to progressively dip to 1:1.2 by the end of 2012. It describes this as a "historic low". It also says that the traditional hi-tech advantage is almost equal now with 9.5:11 squadron ratio. With Pakistan rapidly acquiring early warning aircraft, mid-air refuellers and long-range missiles, the technology gap is at a historic low. It is a wake-up call to India's military planners. The decisions taken now could forever doom the crucial advantage that the Indian Air Force has always enjoyed against an adversary that can never be underestimated.
A formidable adversary
The last time the air forces of India and Pakistan fought a full-blown war was forty years ago. But if the Pakistan Air Force of 1971 was an enemy to be reckoned with, circumstances have made it an even more formidable adversary today. The internal assessment by the Indian defence establishment makes some grimly practical projections in the light of an adversary emboldened by an unfettered modernisation spree. The Indian government has been warned that with the Indian Air Force's edge slipping fast, the Pakistan Air Force's assertiveness is likely to increase. Once seen as a primarily defensive force, the Pakistan Air Force will use its new strength to employ offensive and defensive operations in equal measure.
With new precision weapons, the Pakistan Air Force will conduct limited strikes to achieve strategic effects. The one thing that won't change -- high-value targets in J&K will be high-priority targets for the PAF. There's a deeper threat at play than just fighter numbers. Consider these newly inducted force multiplers that all but kill the Indian air advantage. Pakistan is inducting four Swedish Saab Erieye and four Chinese Y-8 airborne early warning aircraft, while India, currently, has three. India no longer has the mid-air refueller advantage. Pakistan is inducting four identical IL-78M aircraft. The Indian Air Force's UAV advantage is also disappearing. Pakistan is acquiring 25 European UAVs, with more in the pipeline.
Despite the ominous projections of the presentation, there are those who believe the Indian Air Force will always remain on top. Among them, Air Marshal Denzil Keelor, one half of the legendary Keelor brothers, who scored independent India's first air-to-air kill against Pakistan in 1965. But for the IAF to remain ahead, and stem the swiftly dwindling capability advantage over Pakistan, it needs to make some hard decisions across the board.
Delayed decisions
Rapid inductions of new generation fighters give the Pakistan Air Force significantly enhanced fighting potential. The air superiority fighter advantage that the IAF once enjoyed is progressively disappearing. A determined plugging of air defence gaps with radars and missiles has starkly reduced the Indian Air Force's freedom of action in the event of war. There are several reasons why the situation has been allowed to get so grim for the Indian Air Force. Delays in the Tejas have forced the Air Force to grapple with stop-gap arrangements that don't quite cut it. The Indian mother of all deals for 126 new fighters is still incomplete more than ten years after the IAF said it needed the aircraft urgently.
Finally, with an ageing Soviet fleet of flying caskets (MIGs)that are troublesome and facing retirement, the Air Force looks at an even greater dip in the numbers advantage. The message to the Defence Ministry and the government is simple. Cut your losses and plan hard for the future. If you don't, the Indian Air Force will lose the one thing you've always counted on: its combat edge.
Re-equipment ceremony of No. 5 squadron of Pakistan Air Force was held at PAF Base, Shahbaz (Jacobabad) on Thursday. No 5 squadron, one of the oldest squadrons of the PAF, previously equipped with Mirage aircraft has now been re-equipped with newly inducted state-of-the-art F-16 C/D Block 52+ aircraft. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of the Army Staff, was the chief guest on the occasion. Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force, also attended the ceremony along with other senior civil and military officials. A re-equipment ceremony parade was also held in which the squadron colour was presented to the squadron commander. Later, a formation of Mirage and F-16 Block 52 aircraft presented a fly-past. Ex squadron commanders of this elite squadron were also present on the occasion; notable among them was Air Chief Marshal (r) Hakimullah. The Chief of the Army Staff while addressing at the occasion said: “As you know Pakistan is at war with terrorists who have disrupted peace and stability in the region and threatened our way of life. The Pakistan armed forces have been battling these elements since 2004. These operations have been conducted through unprecedented close cooperation and support of the PAF. The role of the PAF has been critical; Pak army fully appreciates the high level of professionalism displayed by the PAF in all counter terrorist operations.”
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani
at PAF "Shahbaz" Base, 10 March 2011
Speaking at the occasion, the Air Chief said: “The first decade of 21 century has seen the PAF transforming into a modern and versatile force. Our focus has shifted from the traditional threat-based development to development based on capabilities enhancement. Our effort has been to cover entire spectrum of air warfare to counter all internal as well as external challenges. Let me take this opportunity to reaffirm and reiterate that the PAF will always provide effective support to our land forces in their operations against all internal as well as external enemies of Pakistan. With the induction of Block 52 F-16s, AEW, Aerial re-fuellers and a multi-layered Air Defence system, the PAF now has the capability to respond to various threats being faced by nation with efficiency and safety. We have a mission to maintain peace with honour in this volatile region in these uncertain times. It is the PAF’s commitment to the nation that despite all odds, our resolve to defend the country shall remain unshakable. Whenever required, we will employ our assets, including these F-16s, to defend our nation and its freedom, against any aggressor, be it external or internal.” The Pakistan Air Force received 18 state-of-the-art F-16 C/D Block 52+ aircraft in different batches from USA and the delivery was completed in December 2010.
Pakistan is in negotiations with the United States of Zionism to get more fighter jets, and is simultaneously developing its defence manufacturing capability to reduce its reliance on America. In 2006, the USZ Congress agreed to give Pakistan 28 F-16C/Ds under an excess defence articles initiative, of which 14 aircraft were recently delivered.
Speaking to Aviation Week in Melbourne, where he was attending an air chiefs’ conference, Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said that negotiations are ongoing for the remaining 14 aircraft. Qamar also said that he has made a concerted effort to increase the manufacturing capability of Pakistan’s defence industry because the country has been subject to sanctions and embargoes in the past. When asked about data links to tie F-16s to JF-17s, Qamar said that Pakistan is working to develop its own solution.
Despite the fact that WikiLeaks is a MOSSAD operation, some information given in it is quite evidently true. One such document describes that a secret cable sent by USZ Embassy in Islamabad to the State Department in 2009 accused Pakistan's military and intelligence service of harassing the embassy employees, sabotaging contracts and denying the purchase of protective gear."The military and intelligence establishment has taken steps since spring 2009 to hamper the operations of the embassy", the cable states. "Some of these problems have recently abated in response to our repeatedly raising them with the highest levels of the Pakistani government. However, we expect we will have to continue to push back against such impediments for the foreseeable future".
The cable lists some of Pakistan's assaults on the embassy:
Holding up the issuance of the visas needed for new embassy staff to enter Pakistan.
Denying import permits for the embassy to buy armored vehicles to protect staff.
"Sabotaging" a contract with the USZ firm DynCorp to protect the USZ personnel at the consulate in Peshawar, near the Afghan border.
Delaying USZ shipments of gear to help Pakistani law enforcement.
"Harassing" embassy personnel "by stopping and detaining their vehicles".
Refusing to let the USZ acquire land for embassy expansion.
The cable says the staff "repeatedly" has complained about harassment to "the highest levels of Pakistani government", with little positive response. According to Washington Times, the Pakistani military's motive for hamstringing the USZ Embassy is twofold. "First, it thinks Washington wants to dismantle Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and thinks it has favoured regional rival India when it approved a civilian nuclear-cooperation agreement. Second, it suspects the State Department is trying to determine Pakistan's national security policies by dealing with civilian leaders only".
This cable not only explains the anger of 5th column journalists and analysts against Pakistan Army but also the entire theme of Bob Woodward's book "Obama's Wars" which heavily criticized COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani.
A glimpse of the Military might of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Those who think they can overrun Pakistan without any trouble should think a million times more.
In a very positive strategic move, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has opted for Turkish Aerospace Industrial Complex "TAI" for the Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) of its F-16A/B aircraft fleet in a bid to enhance its operational capability. Pakistan and Turkey signed an agreement in this regard last week and the multimillion dollars project would begin soon. Pakistan has opted for "TAI" - the Ankara-based Turkish aerospace industrial complex - also for the cost-effectiveness since its lengthy negotiations with the USZ manufacturers failed to bear fruits. The USZ manufacturers of the F-16 aircraft were very expensive. And also keeping in mind the lack of mutual trust between the two countries, Pakistan had to opt for Turkey.
Under the agreement the project, that was expected to kick-start within next two months or so, would be executed in phases. The PAF, which currently has more than 40 F-16 A/B multi-roller fighter fleet, would soon start sending its F-16 aircraft to Turkey for the MLU. TAI, established in 1984, is a joint venture of various Turkish companies and had successfully realised the co-production of F-16 fighters, CN-235 light transport/maritime patrol/surveillance aircraft, SF-260 trainers, Cougar AS-532 general purpose helicopters. With its proven experience and know-how, TAI has improved its capabilities in the fields of design, production, modernisation, modification and systems integration of fixed and rotary wing air platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite.Because of the high quality stringent standards including the NATO AQAP-2110, ISO-9001: 2000 and AS EN 9100, TAI has won position of a qualified supplier for Aermacchi, Agusta Westland, Airbus, Boeing, EADS CASA, Eurocopter, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, MDHI, Sikorsky and many more.
This development has immense khair associated to it since this is the first time when two brother Muslim nations as close to each other as Pakistan and Turkey, have started upgrading the aircrafts of each other. Don't forget that Turkey has already shown keen interest in buying Pakistan's JF-17 Thunder aircrafts.
New impartial evidence debunks 1971 rape allegations against Pakistan Army. A study of the 1971 conflict by an Indian academic, Prof Sarmila Bose, says the Pakistan army personnel did not rape Bengali women as has been widely alleged by Indian and Bangladeshi writers. While Prof Bose’s study focuses on certain specific cases, the finding is very interesting, based as it is on extensive interviews with eyewitnesses. The study also determines the pattern of conflict as three-layered: West Pakistan versus East Pakistan, East Pakistanis (pro-Independence) versus East Pakistanis (pro-Union) and the fateful war between India and Pakistan.
As Prof Bose has noted, no prior study of the conflict has been done. What we have are narratives that strengthen one point of view by rubbishing contending viewpoints. The Bangladeshi meta-narrative, for instance, focuses on the rape issue and uses that not only to demonise the Pakistan army but also exploit it as a symbol of why it was important to break away from (West) Pakistan. Indeed, the sheer number of Bangladeshi women raped is placed in the millions, a fact to which the Hamoodur Rehman Commission Report also referred and declared as absurd. Even so, over the years the charge of rape has stuck to the Pakistan army and weighed it down in moral terms. Prof Bose, a Bengali herself and belonging to the family of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, has done a remarkable job of investigating the charge and paving the way for independent scholars to probe the issue further.
Prof Bose, who unveiled her study at a US State Department conference convened to mark the release of declassified US government documents from that period, also spoke about the violence generated by all sides. “The civil war of 1971 was fought between those who believed they were fighting for a united Pakistan and those who believed their chance for justice and progress lay in an independent Bangladesh. Both were legitimate political positions. All parties in this conflict embraced violence as a means to the end, all committed acts of brutality outside accepted norms of warfare, and all had their share of humanity. These attributes make the 1971 conflict particularly suitable for efforts towards reconciliation, rather than recrimination,” says Prof Bose.
It goes to Prof Bose’s credit that while studying the conflict she retained her professionalism and integrity, two essential traits normally absent in studies done of that period by all sides. Under the circumstances, if she wants to explore the issue further the Pakistan army should not hesitate to give her access to raw material in its archives so that she can expand her work. Indeed, here’s the Pakistan army’s chance to wash this stigma off it once and for all. We are reasonably sure that elements within Bangladesh — and even India — will criticise Bose’s study because it goes against the grain of Bangladeshi nationalism. But this will not take away from its impartialness and significance.
Here is the unedited version of her article:
-------------------------------
The courageous Pakistan army stand on the eastern front —Sarmila Bose
There is much for Pakistan to come to terms with what happened in 1971. But the answers don’t lie in unthinking vilification of the fighting men who performed so well in the war against such heavy odds in defence of the national policy. Rather, in failing to honour them, the nation dishonours itself.
My introduction to international politics was 1971, as a schoolgirl in Calcutta. Many images from that year are still etched in my mind, but the culminating one was the photo on Ramna racecourse of two men sitting at a table — the smart, turbaned Sikh, ‘our’ war-hero, Jagjit Singh Aurora, and the large man in a beret, A A K Niazi, commander of the other side, signing the instrument of surrender.
Nearly a generation later, a chance interview for the BBC with Lt Gen. Aurora took me back to 1971. The interview was not about 1971, but about injustices suffered by Sikhs at the hands of the state General Aurora had served. I thought he was a bigger hero for what he had to say then. That view was reinforced as I read — with incredulity — the disparaging remarks by other Indian officers about him, and each other, in their books. If this is what happened to the winning commander, I wondered what had happened to the other man in the photo. The result was a revelation.
It turns out that General Niazi has been my ‘enemy’ since the Second World War. As Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army fought on the Burma front in 1943-45 in their quest for India’s freedom, Niazi was fighting on the other side, for the British Indian Army, under the overall command of General (later Field Marshal) William Joseph Slim. Slim and his 14th Army halted the advance of the INA and the Japanese at the Imphal campaign and turned the course of the war.
In the process of inflicting military defeat upon my ancestor, Niazi’s performance was so exceptional that the British awarded him an on-the-spot Military Cross for action on the Assam-Burma front in June 1944. On another occasion they wanted to award a DSO, but he was too junior, so a Mention in Despatches was recorded. In the original record of his MC signed by his commanding officers all the way up to Slim, which I obtained from the British Ministry of Defence, the British commanders describe Niazi’s gallantry in detail: “He organized the attack with such skill that his leading platoon succeeded in achieving complete surprise over the enemy.” They speak of how he personally led his men, the ‘great skill and coolness’ under fire with which he changed tactics with changing circumstances, created diversionary attacks, extricated his wounded, defeated the enemy and withdrew his men by section, remaining personally at the rear in every case.
The British honoured Niazi for “personal leadership, bravery and complete disregard for his own personal safety.” On 15 December 1944 the Viceroy Lord Wavell flew to Imphal and in the presence of Lord Mountbatten knighted Slim and his corps commanders Stopford, Scoones and Christison. Only two ‘Indian’ officers were chosen to be decorated by the Viceroy at that ceremony — ‘Tiger’ Niazi was one of them.
In 1971 Niazi was a highly decorated Pakistani general, twice receiving the Hilal-e-Jurat. He was sent to East Pakistan in April 1971 — part of a sorry tradition in South Asia of political rulers attempting to find military solutions to political problems. By then Tikka Khan had already launched the crackdown of 25 March for which he has been known to Bengalis as the ‘butcher of Bengal’ ever since. The population of East Bengal was completely hostile and Pakistan condemned around the world.
Authoritative scholarly analyses of 1971 are rare. The best work is Richard Sisson and Leo Rose’s War and Secession. Robert Jackson, fellow of All Soul’s College, Oxford, wrote an account shortly after the events. Most of the principal participants did not write about it, a notable exception being Gen. Niazi’s recent memoirs (1998). Some Indian officers have written books of uneven quality — they make for an embarrassing read for what the Indians have to say about one another.
However, a consistent picture emerges from the more objective accounts of the war. Sisson and Rose describe how India started assisting Bengali rebels since April, but “the Mukti Bahini had not been able to prevent the Pakistani army from regaining control over all the major urban centers on the East Pakistani-Indian border and even establishing a tenuous authority in most of the rural areas.” From July to October there was direct involvement of Indian military personnel. “…mid-October to 20 November… Indian artillery was used much more extensively in support …and Indian military forces, including tanks and air power on a few occasions, were also used…Indian units were withdrawn to Indian territory once their objectives had been brought under the control of the Mukti Bahini — though at times this was only for short periods, as, to the irritation of the Indians, the Mukti Bahini forces rarely held their ground when the Pakistani army launched a counterattack.”
Clearly, the Pakistani army regained East Pakistan for their masters in Islamabad by April-May, creating an opportunity for a political settlement, and held off both Bengali guerrillas and their Indian supporters till November, buying more time — time and opportunity that Pakistan’s rulers and politicians failed to utilise.
Contrary to Indian reports, full-scale war between India and Pakistan started in East Bengal on 21 November, making it a four-week war rather than a ‘lightning campaign’. Sisson and Rose state bluntly: “After the night of 21 November…Indian forces did not withdraw. From 21 to 25 November several Indian army divisions…launched simultaneous military actions on all of the key border regions of East Pakistan, and from all directions, with both armored and air support.” Indian officers like Sukhwant Singh and Lachhman Singh write quite openly in their books about India invading East Pakistani territory in November, which they knew was ‘an act of war’.
None of the outside scholars expected the Eastern garrison to withstand a full Indian invasion. On the contrary, Pakistan’s longstanding strategy was “the defense of the east is in the west”. Jackson writes, “Pakistani forces had largely withdrawn from scattered border-protection duties into cleverly fortified defensive positions at the major centres inside the frontiers, where they held all the major ‘place names’ against Mukti Bahini attacks, and blocked the routes of entry from India…”
Sisson and Rose point out the incongruity of Islamabad tolerating India’s invasion of East Pakistani territory in November. On 30 November Niazi received a message from General Hamid stating, “The whole nation is proud of you and you have their full support.” The same day Islamabad decided to launch an attack in the West on 2 December, later postponed to 3 December, after a two-week wait, but did not inform the Eastern command about it. According to Jackson, the Western offensive was frustrated by 10 December.
Though futile, the Western offensive allowed India to openly invade the East, with overwhelming advantages. “ …despite all these advantages, the war did not go as smoothly and easily for the Indian army…”, but Sisson and Rose come to the balanced judgment that “The Pakistanis fought hard and well; the Indian army won an impressive victory.” Even Indian officers concede the personal bravery of Niazi and the spirited fight put up by the Pakistanis in the East. That the troops fought so well against such overwhelming odds is a credit both to them, and to their commanders, for an army does not fight well in the absence of good leadership.
However, as Jackson put it, “…India’s success was inevitable from the moment the general war broke out — unless diplomatic intervention could frustrate it.” As is well known, Pakistan failed to secure military or diplomatic intervention. Sisson and Rose also say, “The outcome of the conflict on the eastern front after 6 December was not in doubt, as the Indian military had all the advantages.” On 14 December Niazi received the following message from Yahya Khan: “You have fought a heroic battle against overwhelming odds. The nation is proud of you …You have now reached a stage where further resistance is no longer humanly possible nor will it serve any useful purpose… You should now take all necessary measures to stop the fighting and preserve the lives of armed forces personnel, all those from West Pakistan and all loyal elements…” Sisson and Rose naturally describe this message as “implying that the armed forces in East Pakistan should surrender”.
No matter how traumatic the outcome of 1971 for Pakistan, the Eastern command did not create the conflict, nor were they responsible for the failure of the political and diplomatic process. Sent to do the dirty work of the political manoeuvrers, the fighting men seem to have performed remarkably well against overwhelming odds. It is shocking therefore to discover that they were not received with honour by their nation on their return. Their commander, Niazi, appears to have been singled out, along with one aide, to be punished arbitrarily with dismissal and denial of pension, without being given the basic right to defend himself through a court-martial, which he asked for.
The commission set up allegedly to examine what had happened in 1971 was too flawed in its terms of reference and report to have any international credibility. However, even its recommendations of holding public trials and court-martials were ignored. There is much for Pakistan to come to terms with what happened in 1971. But the answers don’t lie in unthinking vilification of the fighting men who performed so well in the war against such heavy odds in defence of the national policy. Rather, in failing to honour them, the nation dishonours itself.
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