Latest news with #ISPR
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
PAF aircraft shine at UK air show
Pakistan Air Force achieved an extraordinary feat by securing two coveted trophies among the world's leading air forces at the world-renowned Royal International Air Tattoo-(RIAT) 2025, held in the United Kingdom. During the Air Chiefs' Conference at RIAT-2025, PAF's professional excellence and the exquisite paint schemes of its aircraft were widely appreciated by global air force leaders, said a press release issued by ISPR here Saturday. On this remarkable achievement, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, extended his heartfelt congratulations to PAF contingent stating that keeping the nation's flag high has always been the hallmark of Pakistan Air Force. Winning these prestigious awards is a testament to our professionalism, technical expertise and relentless pursuit of excellence. He also commended the entire team for showcasing Pakistan's true potential with pride and dignity. PAF's state of the art JF-17 Thunder Block-III, making its maiden appearance at this prestigious airshow, was awarded the "Spirit of the Meet" Trophy, a rare honor conferred upon the aircraft that best embodies the ethos, spirit and excitement of RIAT.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor & its long pause: Figuring out the fallout
India is in a state of frozen conflict with an officially declared pause on Operation Sindoor . This is possibly aimed at keeping the enemy in a state of confusion or suspense. The obvious corollaries are: A) How long can this state be maintained? B) Does it really have constraining influence on our adversaries? How does it impact us internally? It is fairly apparent that both sides had restricted objectives and limited stamina, specially for non-contact, kinetic warfare, in terms of missiles and drones. A defined, short pause can help to reset, introspect, re-arm and rebuild arsenals. The law of diminishing marginal returns also applies to this extended pause. Defining New Normal Pakistan is already using ISPR/lobbyists to drum up the narrative of India being irresponsible, war-mongering hegemon, insisting on bilateralism, ruling out external influences. On the contrary, as a responsible nation, India has acted in a proportionate, non-escalatory manner, with calibrated targeting. Operation Sindoor, as a short, surgical operation was indeed commendable, and it delivered a potent, effective message. Following up on Balakot, it curated an additional space below the nuclear threshold and debunked Pakistan's narrative of irrational escalation to nuclear domain. The new doctrine defines altered realities: guaranteed retribution after terrorist misadventure; debunking of nuclear blackmail; and that terror sponsors will have to bear the consequences. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Pakistan attempted an economic façade at Pahalgam, to derail tourism and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. We need to bounce back and not get bogged down, since Pakistan has really nothing to lose. In any case, Pakistan is running spectacle of visits, lunches and even hosting tutorials on its version of air combat for foreign delegations. Learning from the pastIt will be appropriate to constitute a time-bound, fast-track Kargil Review Committee (KRC) type of a task force. It was indeed commendable that PM Atal Behari Vajpayee ordered KRC within a week after the culmination of Operation Vijay in Kargil. Even more noteworthy was the constitution of a group of ministers (GoM) under the then deputy PM, L K Advani. We implemented some reforms, but we lost traction. Few recommendations still need to be taken to a logical conclusion. It is important to take a call on the pending issues of theatre commands, raising cyber command, and upgrading aero-space and special forces agencies, from two-star to three-star led. It is time to put the NDU debate to rest by officially accepting RRU, which has acquired de facto status. However, in keeping with global norms, there is a requirement to reinforce faculties and apex management, with more services representation. Another important issue is empowering CAPFs with integral cadres. ITBP and BSF deployed in operational grid should be placed under theatre and regional commanders to implement 'One Border, One Force' to build accountability and specialisation. It is relevant to recount the unpleasant experience of a prolonged mobilisation during Operation Parakram, after the terrorist attack on Parliament on Dec 13, 1991, which stretched for more than ten months. In keeping with bureaucratic ambiguity, mobilisation was managed without invoking the war book. Much after demobilisation, Indian Army was battling auditors who refused to clear bills for civil transport hired to keep ammunition on wheels in a ready-to-move state. Recently, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari, who has multiple tenures in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and is a constitutional lawyer, raised some seemingly valid questions on the declaration of national emergency and war. It will be prudent to address them and lay clearcut norms. The most discouraging thing is when even after stellar performance, the forces are literally abandoned to fend for themselves, with a maze of vague and rigid regulations. This is also relevant for ongoing emergency procurement where guard-rails need to be reinforced, and accountability shared. Viksit dialogue Mercifully, the present template is different with no large-scale mobilisation or move of formations. To maintain surprise, no general 'recall from leave' orders were promulgated. The surprise was only in timing, as the nation was rooting for instant retribution. As they say that revenge is best served cold, could we have kept Pakistan on tenterhooks for a longer duration, imposing penalties and costs, in a guessing and scrambling game? Considering the dangerous hype created by war-mongering TV channels, there is a need to develop the culture of 'Viksit Samvad' (informed dialogue) for 'Viksit Bharat'. It is time to dispel the misinformation on our aircraft losses. In any case, some losses are an acceptable part of occupational hazard. At present, the Pakistan narrative seems to have found better traction. The confusion is becoming more baffling with floating of new theories of spoofing, with towed decoys. Way forward It would be realistic to infer that while deterrence against Pakistan are in place, there may be attempts to test the redlines coupled with deniability. The next round may be entirely different, especially with Chinese having got considerable amount of data, on our vectors. Hence, we need to have serious discussions on designing force level and platform-mix. It is time we develop an optimum combination of manned-unmanned platforms. The guiding rule is agile platforms with minimal electronic signatures. We should build a potent, but smaller manned fighter fleet, integrated with drones, loitering munitions, missiles and layered air defence. Discussions on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) have to be progressed in the light of water stress, climate change, need for clean hydro-energy, de-silting of dams for safety and livelihood issues like minimum draft in Jhelum for navigation. The treaty requires a review, taking into account altered realities, but only when the other party mends its ways. Meanwhile, work on dams and reservoirs must be expedited. It is time Pakistan learns to live with the new water regime in the Indus basin. (The author is former GOC-in-C, Western Command, Indian Army)
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan wins top honors at UK air show after JF-17 deployment post-India clash
KARACHI: Pakistan Air Force has won two prestigious awards at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the United Kingdom, said an official statement on Saturday, where its newly deployed JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets made their debut amid heightened interest following a recent military standoff with India. The JF-17 Block-III was awarded the coveted 'Spirit of the Meet' Trophy, a rare honor given to the aircraft that best embodies the ethos and excitement of the global event. Pakistan's C-130H Hercules, painted in a custom livery themed 'Eyes in the Skies,' also received the 'Concours d'Elegance' Trophy for best-maintained and most aesthetically presented aircraft, according to Pakistan's military. The awards come just days after Pakistan deployed these aircraft to the RIAT, one of the world's most prestigious military air shows, as part of a broader push to display its airpower and modernization drive. 'Winning these prestigious awards is a testament to our professionalism, technical expertise and relentless pursuit of excellence,' said Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, who congratulated the PAF contingent on its performance, according to the military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). 'Keeping the nation's flag high has always been the hallmark of Pakistan Air Force,' he added. The JF-17 Block-III is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter equipped with a long-range beyond-visual-range missile capability. Co-developed by Pakistan and China, the aircraft is central to Pakistan's indigenous defense strategy. It also played a vital role in the intense, four-day military standoff with India in May when Pakistan shot down advanced Indian fighter jets. The aircraft flew from Pakistan to Royal Air Force Base Fairford in southern England earlier this week, successfully conducting air-to-air refueling mid-flight — a maneuver the military described as evidence of the PAF's growing long-range operational capabilities. 'PAF's outstanding performance at RIAT-2025 not only cements its standing among leading global air forces but also serves as a source of immense pride for the entire Pakistani nation,' the ISPR said. Pakistan has previously won honors at RIAT in 2006, 2016, and 2018, reinforcing what the statement described as a consistent record of aviation excellence.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Libya, Pakistan military chiefs discuss security
Commander in Chief of Libyan Armed Forces Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar called on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Friday at General Headquarters. Meeting encompassed discussion on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional dynamics, security challenges and matters pertaining to defence cooperation, said a press release issued by the ISPR. Both leaders agreed to undertake defense industrial collaboration and exchange of technical expertise to address contemporary security challenges. Upon his arrival at GHQ, he laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada to pay homage to the martyrs of Pakistan Army. Lieutenant General Haftar also called on Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Naveed Ashraf here Friday at Naval Headquarters. Upon arrival at Naval Headquarters, Commander-in-Chief of Libyan Armed Forces was received by Chief of the Naval Staff, said a press release issued by Directorate General Public Relations (Pak Navy). During the meeting, both leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security situation, and avenues for enhanced cooperation in training and defence. Lieutenant General Haftar along with his delegation called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met, at the Prime Minister House here Friday and discussed matters of mutual interest. On this occasion, the Prime Minister welcomed the Libyan Commander-in-Chief and his delegation to Pakistan. The meeting discussed cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan and Libya to expand defense industrial collaboration after top military meeting
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Libya have agreed to pursue defense industrial collaboration and exchange technical expertise to tackle security challenges, according to an official statement issued on Friday after a meeting between the top army commanders of the two countries. The meeting took place in Rawalpindi between Libyan Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Saddam Khalifa Haftar and Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to the military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Defense ties between the two countries date back to the Cold War era, when Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi famously called Pakistan 'the fort of Islam' at the 1974 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Lahore and later supported its arms procurement efforts. In the post-Qaddafi period, the two nations signed a series of memoranda of understanding focused on labor, education and political consultations, laying the groundwork for broader cooperation. 'Meeting encompassed discussion on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional dynamics, security challenges and matters pertaining to defense cooperation,' the ISPR said in a statement after the meeting. 'Both leaders agreed to undertake defense industrial collaboration and exchange of technical expertise to address contemporary security challenges.' Haftar was presented a guard of honor by a Pakistan Army contingent upon his arrival at the General Headquarters, where he laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs' Corner. The ISPR statement maintained the visit by Libya's top military leadership marks a significant step in reinforcing the longstanding defense partnership between both countries. Pakistan and Libya established diplomatic relations in 1951 and have maintained friendly ties rooted in shared Islamic heritage and cultural bonds. Bilateral trade reached approximately $19 million in 2022–23, while defense ties remain robust, with Pakistan having trained Libyan officers in aviation, infantry and technical fields in the past.
