Pakistan Air force Shelves Air Force Development Plan 2025

Pakistan Air force has shelved the “Air Force Development Plan 2025”due to financial constraints and non release of funds by the Pakistani federal government.

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Pakistani JF-17 Thunders Escort Chinese Premier’s Boeing 747

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's Air China Boeing 747 aircraft was escorted by the six JF-17 Thunder fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as soon as his aircraft entered into the  Pakistani air space.

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Pakistan's Secret Prisons

Reuters

Pakistan Supreme Court Again Considers Military’s Secret Detentions -- McClatchy News

ISLAMABAD — A year ago, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the country’s military to produce seven men who’d been held in a secret prison after the civilian terrorism charges against them had collapsed. It was a dramatic scene, as the men, who hadn’t been seen in years, appeared in court – emaciated, ill, with one carrying a colostomy bag.

The shock was so great that Rohaifa Bibi, the 59-year-old mother of two of the men, suffered a heart attack that night and died.

The men, however, did not gain their freedom. Instead, they were shunted into a military internment system that is a glaring example of how Pakistan’s legal system has failed to cope with Islamic extremist violence ignited by the country’s alliance with the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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My Comment: I suspect that these prisons are hell-holes of the worst type.

Political Crisis In Pakistan -- A News Roundup January 15, 2013

Pakistan's Court Order To Arrest The Prime Minister Unsettles Nation -- Christian Science Monitor

The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Ashraf, sparking rumors of a conspiracy against the country's democracy. But analysts are calling for calm.

The news that the Supreme Court had called for the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf ran through Pakistan like an electric current Tuesday afternoon.

The order for Prime Minister Ashraf's arrest – alongside 15 other people – comes after a long-standing court case where he has been accused of receiving kickbacks in a rental power project and buying foreign property with illegal money during his tenure as minister for water and power. The news also comes just months before the country is set to hold elections, and a day after Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a Canadian-Pakistani cleric, led tens of thousands of organized protestors to the capital to demand “electoral reform” and an end to corruption, violence, and power outages.

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More News On The Unrest In Pakistan

Pakistan turmoil deepens as court orders PM's arrest -- Reuters
Pakistani Supreme Court orders arrest of prime minister in corruption case -- CNN
Pakistani high court again orders the arrest of a prime minister -- Washington Post
Pakistan Supreme Court orders arrest of PM Raja Pervez Ashraf -- BBC
Pakistan supreme court orders arrest of prime minister on corruption charges -- The Guardian

Pakistani cleric's peaceful rally sparks police clashes -- CBC/AP
Pakistani Cleric Demands Government Quit as Thousands Rally -- Bloomberg Businessweek
A Fiery Preacher’s Arrival Shakes Pakistani Politics -- New York Times
Cleric fires up Pakistanis, demands gov't resign -- AP
Protest Leader Calls for 'Peaceful Revolution' in Pakistan -- Voice of America
Clashes erupt at Pakistani anti-corruption march -- BBC
In pictures: Pakistan protest -- BBC

Pakistan inches toward political uncertainty -- Sajjad Haider, DAWN
Democracy faces crucial 24 hours in Pakistan -- Rob Crilly, The Telegraph

Pakistani Militants Are On The Offensive

Pakistan Militants Kill 41 In Mass Execution, Attack On Shi'ites -- Reuters

Pakistani militants, who have escalated attacks in recent weeks, killed at least 41 people in two separate incidents, officials said on Sunday, challenging assertions that military offensives have broken the back of hardline Islamist groups.

The United States has long pressured nuclear-armed ally Pakistan to crack down harder on both homegrown militants groups such as the Taliban and others which are based on its soil and attack Western forces in Afghanistan.

In the north, 21 men working for a government-backed paramilitary force were executed overnight after they were kidnapped last week, a provincial official said.

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Update: Bomb kills 19 Pakistan pilgrims, 21 troops shot dead -- AFP

My Comment: What will it take for the Pakistani military and intelligence services to finally act against these militants and Al Qaeda linked terror organizations .... your guess is as good as mine.

Who Will Rule Pakistan: The Generals Or The Lawyers?

Meanwhile: Generals and Judges Battle for Power in Pakistan -- Abubakar Siddique, The Atlantic

The clash between the country's powerful military and aggressive judiciary is more intense than ever.

With every step Pakistan's judiciary takes toward defining its role, it further encroaches on the powerful military's turf. This was obvious on November 5 when, after months of behind-the-scenes discord, military leader General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry went public with their mutual criticisms.

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My Comment: I sympathize with the judiciary .... a country should be ruled by laws and a constitution. But in Pakistan the military has always had a different point of view .... and they have the guns.

A Warning From Pakistan's Military To The Civilian Leadership

Pakistani Army Chief Issues Warning In Rare Statement -- Radio Free Europe

Pakistan's powerful army chief has issued a rare public statement warning against efforts to undermine the country's military.

The comments by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani come amid unprecedented pressure on the army from Pakistan's civilian government, media, and judiciary.

Kayani said on November 5 that the military derives its strength from the public and any effort that "draws a wedge" between the people and the military undermines national security.

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More News On Pakistan's Army Chief Issuing A Warning To The Civilian Leadership

Text of General Kayani's statement -- Business Recorder
Pakistan general warns civilians not to ‘assume more than one’s due role’ -- McClatchy News
Pakistan Army Chief Issues Warning in Rare Message -- ABC News/AP
Sparks fly after Kayani’s ‘national interest’ speech -- The Hindu
Kayani warns against drawing wedge between Pak people and armed forces -- Times of India
No individual or institution alone can decide national interest: Kayani -- DAWN
No individual or institution can alone decide national interest: Gen Kayani -- News Pakistan

My Comment: I would not call his statement a warning .... it is more of a threat. In any other democracy such a statement by a military chief will result in his immediate firing .... but this is Pakistan.

JF-17 Thunder Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) Role With MAR-1 Missile

The JF-17 Thunder fighter jet ca perform the role of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) by employing MAR-1 anti-radiation missiles with help of KG-300 Electronic Warfare pod. In this mission profile JF-17 Thunder will carry four SD-10A BVRAAMs and two PL-5E II WVRAAM for self-defense purposes.

JF-17 Thunder Strategic Strike Role With Ra'ad (Hatf 8) - Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM)

JF-17 Thunder Long Range Precision Strike Role With H-4 TV/Inertially Guided Bombs

JF-17 Thunder Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) Role With MAR-1 Missile

JF-17 Thunder Maritime Strike Role With C-802A Anti-ship Missile

JF-17 Thunder Precision Strike Role With LS-6 Satellite Aided Inertially Guided Bombs

JF-17 Thunder Precision Strike Role With Hafr Runway Penetration Bomb (RPB)

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Chinese ZDK-03 Karakoram Eagle AEW&C And Y-8 GX6 Maritime Patrol Aircrafts

Sino-Pak ZDK-03 Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) Karakoram Eagle & Y-8 GX6 Maritime Patrol and Anti-submarine Warfare Aircraft.

Pakistani Schoolgirl Malala Yusufzai Sent To UK For Treatment

Pakistani Schoolgirl Attacked By Taliban Sent To UK For Treatment -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by Taliban gunmen for pushing for girls to be educated has been sent to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, a military spokesman said on Monday.

The spokesman said in a statement that 14-year-old Malala Yusufzai, whose shooting has drawn condemnation abroad and at home, will require prolonged care to fully recover physically and psychologically.

The spokesman said an air ambulance transporting Malala, provided by the United Arab Emirates, had departed from Islamabad and was heading for the United Kingdom.

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My Comment: Our prayers are with her, her family, and with her supporters.

Pakistani Mirage & F-7 Fighter Jets Along with Chinese Sukhoi Fighter Jets

A rare image of the Mirage & F-7 fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force & Sukhoi fighter jets of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) from the 'Shaheen-1' Joint Air Exercise? which was conducted in 2011.

Pakistan Successfully Tests Multi Tube Hatf-VII Babur Cruise Missile

The Strategic Command and Control Support System provides decision-makers at the National Command Centre "robust command and control capability of all strategic assets with round the clock situational awareness in a digitised network-centric environment." The  Multi Tube Cruise Missile Hatf-VII (Babur) has the added capability of real time remote monitoring of a missile's flight path.

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Heavy Fighting Reported Between Pakistani Troops And Militants

Fighting Between Militants, Troops Rages In Pakistan -- Voice of America

Pakistani officials say at least eight militants have been killed in northwest Pakistan, as security forces continue to target militant hideouts.

Fighting continued for another day in the Bajaur tribal agency Thursday. The day before, authorities said at least three soldiers and six militants were killed in clashes there.

Meanwhile, senior Pakistani intelligence officials, who did not give their names, confirmed to the Associated Press that a top commander of the militant Haqqani network, Badruddin Haqqani, was killed last week in a U.S. drone strike in the North Waziristan tribal agency.

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More News On Continued Fighting Between Pakistani Forces And Militants

Pakistan army kills 18 militants as fighting rages -- Reuters
Taliban militants attack Pakistani army post near Afghan border, kill 8 soldiers -- Washington Post/AP
Taliban attack on Pakistan border checkpoint kills 8 soldiers -- CNN
Eight soldiers killed in Pakistan checkpost attack -- AFP
Taliban Kill at Least 8 Pakistani Soldiers in Ambush -- New York Times

PAF Minhas Airbase / Kamra Air Base Under Attack: Updates

• PAF Minhas Airbase / Kamra Air Base Under Attack
•  
  PAF Minhas Airbase / Kamra Air Base Under Attack: Updates
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  PAF Minhas Airbase / Kamra Air Base Under Terrorist Attack: Post Attack Situation

PAF Minhas Airbase / Kamra Air Base came under attack at around 2:30 AM from 7 to 8 terrorists.

• Pakistan Rangers and FC has been ordered to move in to help the security force of the Pakistan Air Force at the air base.

• Terrorists are using automatic weapons and hand grenades.

• Terrorists have been stopped and security forces are trying to contain the situation and Pakistan Army has been called in to help PAF airbase security force.

Will Pakistan's Military Come Back To Power?

PHOTO: Wikimedia

In Pakistan, Political And Economic Crises Stir Nostalgia For Military Rule -- Washington Post

MURREE, PAKISTAN — Beckoned by public spigots promising free, pure drinking water, tourists lined up last week to refresh themselves along the main drag in Murree, a summer resort town perched at 7,500 feet in the Himalayas.

They soon discovered that the taps were dry.

“We’ve gotten nothing,” said one thirsty visitor, Abdul Sattar, 47. And he wasn’t just talking about pani (water), which hasn’t reached Murree for weeks because severe power shortages have shut down pumping stations in the valley below.

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My Comment: Power failures, rampant corruption, the growth of Islamic militancy, economic stagnation .... if I was living in Pakistan I would probably be yearning for the "good old days" when the military ran the show. But realistically .... Pakistan's military had the same problems when they were in power .... developing a massive nuclear weapons program while ignoring basic infrastructure programs, alliances with extremist groups, corruption and a government that was dysfunctional .... sighhhh .... this was also the legacy of the Pakistani military.

The Taliban's Ban On Polio Vaccinations In Pakistan Risks The Health Of Thousands Of Children

Pakistan Militants' War With CIA May Raise Children's Polio Risk -- L.A. Times

A phony CIA vaccination program used to help track down Osama bin Laden leads militant leaders to ban a polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan's Waziristan regions.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan— The war between the CIA and Pakistani militant groups threatens to produce an unlikely casualty: thousands of children who are being denied polio vaccinations in one of the few places on Earth where the disease is still a menace.

A phony inoculation program orchestrated by the CIA last year to help it track down Osama bin Laden bolstered long-standing claims by hard-line clerics that vaccination campaigns are a Western plot against Pakistanis.

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My Comment: More proof that the Pakistan government has no authority or influence in it's own territories.

Is Pakistan Turning A Blind Eye To Radicals In Quetta

Security officials survey a damaged bus which was hit by a bomb attack in Quetta, Pakistan, June 18. A car bomb exploded near a university bus on Monday killing three students and wounding over 25 other people, most of them students, in Pakistan's southwest, police said, and reported by local media. Naseer Ahmed/REUTERS

Pakistan Bombing Hints At Free Rein For Radicals In Quetta -- Christian Science Monitor

A bus bombing in Quetta is the latest attack on Shiite Hazaras. The lack of arrests have prompted the Hazaras to suspect the state is complicit.

The bombing of a university bus mostly filled with Shiite Hazaras killed at least four students in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province on Monday.

Balochistan borders Afghanistan and is widely seen as the base for the Afghan Taliban leadership. Yesterday's attacks were carried out by another set of jihadis in the region, a reminder that the large Pakistani security presence here has focused more on pinning down an ethnic uprising than cleaning up Islamic militancy.

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My Comment: And Pakistan wonders why the U.S. did not trust them to tell them that they were going to take out Osama bin Laden when his sanctuary was discovered.

Pakistan Test Fires Hatf-VIII Ra'ad Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM)

Pakistan, today conducted a successful Flight Test of the indigenously developed Air Launched Cruise Missile, Hatf-VIII (Ra’ad). The Ra’ad Missile, with a range of over 350 KM, enables Pakistan to achieve strategic standoff capability on land and at Sea.

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Pakistan's PM Denies That Authorities Knew That Osama Bin Laden Was Living In Their Country

Pakistan's PM Denies Authorities Knew Osama bin Laden Was Living In Country -- The Guardian

Global 'intelligence failure' to blame for al-Qaida leader going undetected for so long, says Yousaf Raza Gilani

Pakistan's prime minister has insisted his country had not been "complicit" in sheltering Osama bin Laden and said the fact the late al-Qaida leader was able to live undetected for so long in Pakistan was down to a universal "intelligence failure".

Speaking after the one-year anniversary of Bin Laden's killing, Yousaf Raza Gilani rejected claims Pakistan had secretly known he was living in the garrison city of Abbottabad. US special forces killed Bin Laden on 5 May last year during a raid on his heavily fortified villa.

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My Comment: As long as Pakistan continues to obfuscate and block any independent and real investigation on who supported and provided resources for Bin Laden .... Pakistan's denial in complicity will continue to fall on deaf ears .... mine included.

As to his assertion that it was a global intelligence failure that failed in getting Bin Laden for so long .... I say that he must be corrected .... it was a global intelligence effort that got him .... even while Pakistan resisted and denied that he was in their country to begin with.

JF-17 Thunder Fighter Jet Spotted with Electro Optical Pod

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