Govt official among five killed in Pakistani shelling in Jammu and Kashmir
Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district & attended the online meeting I chaired. Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they…
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Can Pakistan afford China's J-35 fighter jets even at discounted rates, ask netizens
Chinese social media users have slammed their government's move to fast track delivery of 30 J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan at half the price, labelling it as 'financially and strategically reckless' read more Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter jets perform at a rehearsal ahead of Pakistan's national day parade in Islamabad. Used for representational purposes | File image/AFP Chinese social media users have slammed their government's move to fast track delivery of 30 J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan at half the price, labelling it as 'financially and strategically reckless' According to a Times of India report, as per the deal, which marks China's first export of a fifth-generation combat aircraft, the deliveries will begin as early as August 2025. The decision, however, has left many Chinese citizens baffled and angry, especially as the J-35A, also known as the FC-31, is still undergoing testing and has not even yet been inducted into China's own air force, added the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Pakistan has also made a lot of fake news. How can it afford to buy it? It hasn't even paid for the J-10,' ToI quoted a user, posting under the handle @Zhejiang from the Yingyang Medical School, as saying. The comment refers to Pakistan's pending payments for earlier J-10C fighter jets purchased from China. Another user under the name @CQL0530 criticised Beijing's production priorities, asked 'China's own production of the J-35 has not yet been built up. How can it be given to them?' Some users showed no restraint. 'Bullshit!' wrote one, as quoted by ET. The phrase '2 more powerful printers are coming,' shared by user Cracked Rose, was interpreted by some as a reference to the government printing more money, or jets, to fund the project. Timing of China-Pak deal draws criticism The announcement of China's deal to supply 30 J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan has faced scrutiny not only over the jet's readiness but also its timing. Coming just days after a terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam, Indian analysts interpret the deal as China arming Pakistan amid escalating cross-border tensions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Within China, social media users are questioning whether the government is effectively subsidising a military client with limited financial capacity. 'It is more in your interest to spend money on building and purchasing industrial equipment and infra,' ToI quoted one commenter as writing. Concerns also focus on whether China is selling a 'concept jet'— a fighter still in development — presented as a finished product. Although the J-35 is designed to compete with US-made fighters like the F-35, it lacks combat experience or proven operational capabilities. High-risk gamble China previously promoted the J-10CE fighter jet, also supplied to Pakistan, as 'combat-tested,' citing Islamabad's claims that it shot down Indian Rafales during 'Operation Sindoor'. However, these claims remain unverified outside Pakistani media and have been met with skepticism. Attempts to export the J-10CE to countries like Egypt, Brazil, and Uzbekistan have so far been unsuccessful, reported Times of India. Experts attribute this to the jet's reliance on Russian engines — such as the RD-93 and AL-31— which are considered outdated and pose increasing risks amid geopolitical tensions and supply chain uncertainties. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Times of India, citing reports, Pakistani pilots are already training in China to operate the J-35. However, the Chinese government has yet to release an official statement addressing the backlash or confirming details of the sale, added the report. While India is expected to closely monitor the situation, many in China are questioning who truly benefits from the deal. If finalised, Beijing may present it as a strategic effort to strengthen regional influence. Yet for many ordinary citizens, it increasingly appears to be a high-risk gamble — funded by Chinese taxpayers — on an unfinished aircraft sold to a buyer with a questionable credit history. With inputs from agencies
The Wire
5 hours ago
- The Wire
Nehru's Vision of Foreign Policy Assumes Greater Relevance in Wake of the Modi Regime's Abject Failures
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now World Nehru's Vision of Foreign Policy Assumes Greater Relevance in Wake of the Modi Regime's Abject Failures S.N. Sahu 18 minutes ago The dehyphenation of India with Pakistan so arduously achieved before 2014 has been reversed by the utter failure of our foreign policy under Modi regime. Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now The abject failure of India's foreign policy and its collapse under the Modi regime, especially after the launch of Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, has been a cause of national concern. Such disastrous performance was never witnessed during the tenure of any other Prime Minister of our country. While Operation Sindoor's military success in targeting Pak bases following the brutal killing of tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam in Kashmir has been acknowledged, its devastating fallout in the diplomatic and foreign policy front is very embarrassing. Trump announcing ceasefire Instead of India first announcing the ceasefire, it was US President Donald Trump who did so and repeated that claim several times on different occasions. He asserted that it was he who brokered it and claimed that both the countries ceased fire after he threatened to stop trade and commercial engagements with them. Its denial by the spokesperson of External Affairs Ministry and Prime Minister Modi's deafening silence on it unambiguously affirms that Trump's claims are credible. A few days back Russian President Putin's aide Ushakov corroborated Trumps claim saying that that the armed conflict between India and Pakistan was halted with the personal involvement of the American President. Indira Gandhi's Leadership It is tragic that the country is witnessing such a sorry spectacle when India is reckoned with as a major player in international affairs and its military and economic might is globally acclaimed. Way back in 1971, neither the economic and military strength of India was anywhere near what we have in 2025. And yet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, country's foreign policy and diplomatic orientation formed a crucial part of formidable military strategy in the war of 1971 when Pakistan was dismembered, its soldiers surrendered before Indian Army and Bangladesh emerged as a new country. She set an example of a remarkable leader providing leadership to India in shaping her own independent path by defying the intimidations and pressures from the then US President Richard Nixon who despatched seventh fleet to the Indian Ocean to threaten India. In 2025, no country with the exception of Israel supported Operation Sindoor even as China, Turkey and Azerbaijan stood in solidarity with Pakistan. Nehru's vision In 1927, when India's independence was a distant goal and freedom struggle was gaining momentum under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, thirty-eight-year old Jawaharlal Nehru, while attending an anti-imperialism conference in Brussels wrote for the first time an article titled 'A Foreign Policy for India.' He outlined in it the crucial necessity of safeguarding our autonomy and independence to formulate and implement such a policy. 'We,' he thoughtfully wrote, 'must understand world movements and politics and fashion our own movement accordingly'. 'This cannot,' Nehru forcefully asserted, 'mean that we have to subordinate our interests or our methods of work to those of any other country or organisation'. 'Nor does it,' he added, 'mean that we should expect any help from outside or slacken our efforts at home'. 'It simply means that we must educate ourselves in problems of world polity so that we may be able to serve our country better,' he stated. Those words uttered ninety-eight years back deeply resonate when India's foreign policy is in tatters and there is deafening silence of Modi regime on this grave issue. It is educative that nineteen years after Nehru wrote that aforementioned article on India's foreign policy, he very presciently talked about the capability of India to frame an independent foreign policy in his book, Discovery of India, published in 1946. Also Read: Gandhi's and Modi's Reflections on 'Sindoor' Are Poles Apart He wrote that in the future, India along with USA, erstwhile Soviet Union and China would matter in world affairs. With rare far sightedness, he could foresee the rise of India, in his words, '… as a strong united state, a federation of free units, intimately connected with her neighbours and playing an important part in world affairs'. He then remarked with emphasis, 'She is one of the very few countries which have the resources and capacity to stand on their own feet.' After Nehru, successive Prime Ministers right up to Manmohan Singh – which of course include the tenure of BJP's Atal Bihari Vajpayee – conducted India's foreign policy in a manner affirming India's capacity to stand on its own feet. Nehru and Austria In the middle of 1950s, eight years after India's independence, with hardly any economic and military capability, India under the leadership of Prime Minister Nehru was requested by Austria to restore its freedom and sovereignty from the subjugation of the erstwhile occupation forces of the Soviet Union, Britain, France and the US, following the defeat of Germany in World War II. Nehru took up the matter with the authorities of the erstwhile Soviet Union and requested them to sign the treaty so that all occupation forces would withdraw from Austria and it could get back its status as a free country. Indeed, Austria could recover its dignity as an independent nation wedded to the ideal of neutrality which remained central to Nehru's non-aligned foreign policy eschewing alliances with military blocks and pursuing active engagement with all countries with a spirit of friendship, equality and reciprocity. Vajpayee and Kargil Conflict During the Kargil conflict, even Vajpayee did not visit the USA when President Clinton asked him to join the then Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Washington to discuss the military disengagement and put an end to the ongoing conflict. Pakistan eventually withdrew from the Kargil heights occupied by its army personnel. Failure of India's Foreign Policy Under Modi Tragically, now in 2025, after Operation Sindoor, the Modi regime's approach to India's foreign policy is demolishing its very foundation anchored in the ideals of independence. As stated earlier, it was sadly reflected in the announcement of ceasefire by President Trump even before India did so. Additionally, the dehyphenation of India with Pakistan so arduously achieved before 2014 has been reversed by the utter failure of our foreign policy under Modi regime and rest of the world has rehyphenated both the countries. Failure of the all paty delegation to meet top functionaries of the 30 odd countries they visited to explain our position vis-a-vis Pakistan is yet again proves the sorry state of affairs of our foreign policy establishment. Pakistan continues to get loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank in spite of indulging in cross boarder terrorism against India, while the Modi administration is failing to get global public opinion mobilised against that country. Besides, it is now set to chair the United Nations Security Council's Taliban Sanctions Committee in 2025, and will also be a vice-chair of the Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee. All such developments taking place in the backdrop of cease fire following Operation Sindoor is reflective of the failure of foreign policy architecture set by Modi Government to isolate Pakistan. Nehru's Legacy Endures Modi, who boosted up his image domestically on the strength of his much hyped narrative that India's stature has been considerably heightened globally under his leadership needs to introspect and assess the dismal failure of the foreign policy followed by his regime. He should be mindful that during Nehru and Indira Gandhi's period, the stature of India at the global level was very high because of the excellent personality traits and attributes of those leaders even as India was not militarily and economically all that strong. It is in this context that Nehru's vision articulated in 1927 and in 1946 assumes greater significance to restore India's credibility at the national and global level. S N Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K R Narayanan. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Eight Days, Nine Rallies, Six States: Tracking PM Modi and Operation Sindoor as Campaign Ammunition Gandhi's and Modi's Reflections on 'Sindoor' Are Poles Apart Facing Pushback, Derision and Anger, BJP Says News of Sindoor Distribution Plans 'Fake' Four Times Narendra Modi Showed That Criticising the Union Government on National Security is Okay Operation Sindoor and Supernatural Times Under the Modi Regime Why a Special Session of the Parliament is Critical to Discuss the Disclosure Made by CDS Chauhan Mamata Accuses Modi of 'Political Holi' with Op Sindoor, Asks 'Why Not Give Sindoor to Your Mrs?' Modi's Search for Global Solidarity Rings Hollow Amid Rising Domestic Intolerance in India From Flowers to Sarees, A Story of PM Modi's Communication Imagery Post-Operation Sindoor View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
7 hours ago
- First Post
Pakistan's unverified claims & move to buy J-35 5th-gen jets see Chinese maker's shares soar high
Pakistan's government said Friday on social media that it intends to acquire 40 J-35 fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and HQ-19 ballistic missile defence systems. read more Shares of the company that makes China's J-35 fighter aircraft have soared, courtesy Pakistan. Reuters Shares of Chinese defence firms surged Monday (June 9) after Pakistan announced plans to purchase a fleet of advanced Chinese-made fighter jets, a move that could mark China's first export of its fifth-generation stealth aircraft. AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company, the manufacturer of the J-35 stealth fighter jet, hit its 10 per cent daily trading limit in Shanghai, building on a three-day rally. Other defence stocks also jumped, with Aerospace Nanhu Electronic Information Technology Co. climbing as much as 15 per cent, Bloomberg reported. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Interestingly, this is not the first time defence stocks in China have soared following India-Pakistan tensions. Pakistan government's signalling Pakistan's government said Friday (June 6) on social media that it intends to acquire 40 J-35 fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and HQ-19 ballistic missile defence systems. The J-35, which is claimed to feature advanced stealth capabilities, was developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and was first unveiled publicly at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow. If finalised, the deal would mark the first known foreign sale of the aircraft. Tensions between Pakistan and India remain high following clashes in early May that involved air, drone and missile strikes, along with artillery and small arms fire. In a May 31 interview, India's Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan confirmed India had lost fighter jets during the conflict, though he did not provide details. Last month, Pakistan claimed that Chinese-made J-10C fighters helped shoot down six Indian jets, including French-built Rafales. India has denied the effectiveness of the weapons systems used by Pakistan, saying its forces successfully carried out retaliatory strikes deep inside Pakistani territory. The reported deal also comes amid growing interest in Chinese military hardware in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is considering a Chinese offer of J-10 jets after traditionally relying on aircraft from the United States, Russia and other suppliers. China's defence industry has continued to advance despite domestic corruption scandals. In December, Beijing launched its first next-generation amphibious assault ships, which analysts say are the largest of their kind. Last year, a video purportedly showing a test flight of a sixth-generation Chinese fighter jet went viral online, prompting another wave of gains in defence stocks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
