Pakistan Military Developments

Neil

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Pakistan begins submarine procurement talks with China

China's vice-president, Zheng Dejiang, met with civil and military leaders in Pakistan on 9-10 June in a visit surrounded by reports of a major new defence deal under discussion that would see Pakistan buying at least three Chinese submarines.

Speaking to Jane's on 9 June, a senior Pakistani government official said the Pakistan Navy began discussions with "the Chinese authorities last month for an eventual submarine deal" for up to three or four boats, but declined to specify the types or terms under discussion.

China has a long history of helping Pakistan overcome shortages of key military hardware, notably the hardware it was denied by the Western world following sanctions imposed from 1990 in response to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme.

The Pakistani government official who spoke to Jane's on 9 June said that it was vital for the navy to acquire more submarines to offset "the pressure we will definitely come under" due to the rapid expansion of India's naval capability. "Our Chinese brothers have always come to our help and we are asking them for assistance once again," he said.

Although neither China nor Pakistan have ever publicly revealed the terms of their past financial arrangements, defence analysts say that China continues to offer long-term loans to Pakistan on concessional terms, allowing the country to continue with its military hardware purchases.

http://www.janes.com/news/defence/naval/jdw/jdw100611_1_n.shtml
 

SHASH2K2

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Pakistan Air Force Takes Delivery of AIM-120 C5


United States have delivered the first batch of Advance Medium Range Air to Air Missiles (AMRAAM) AIM-120 C5 to the Pakistan air force for its F-16 C/D block 52+ aircrafts. This will make the AIM-120 C5 to be the first BVR missile in arsenal of the Pakistan air force.

Pakistani air force's spokesperson has said that Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles in the PAF inventory not only marks the achievement of another major milestone in PAF Developmental Plan, but also bolsters its defensive capabilities manifold. Additionally, this capability brings PAF at par with other modern Air Forces of the world in terms of sophistication of its air-to air arsenal.

PAF's spokesperson said that delivery of remaining F-16 C/D block 52+ aircrafts and Advance Medium Range Air to Air Missiles (AMRAAM) AIM-120 C5 will complete by the end of this year.http://weapons.technology.youngester.com/2010/07/pakistan-air-force-takes-delivery-of.html
 

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China's vice-president, Zheng Dejiang, met with civil and military leaders in Pakistan on 9-10 June in a visit surrounded by reports of a major new defence deal under discussion that would see Pakistan buying at least three Chinese submarines.

Speaking to Jane's on 9 June, a senior Pakistani government official said the Pakistan Navy began discussions with "the Chinese authorities last month for an eventual submarine deal" for up to three or four boats, but declined to specify the types or terms under discussion.

China has a long history of helping Pakistan overcome shortages of key military hardware, notably the hardware it was denied by the Western world following sanctions imposed from 1990 in response to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme.

The Pakistani government official who spoke to Jane's on 9 June said that it was vital for the navy to acquire more submarines to offset "the pressure we will definitely come under" due to the rapid expansion of India's naval capability. "Our Chinese brothers have always come to our help and we are asking them for assistance once again," he said.

Although neither China nor Pakistan have ever publicly revealed the terms of their past financial arrangements, defence analysts say that China continues to offer long-term loans to Pakistan on concessional terms, allowing the country to continue with its military hardware purchases.
Well i had the opportunity to talk about the submarine stuff with some concerned people last month,i did ask about the Chinese option and the answer was the people at the higher ranks dislike the Chinese stuff when it comes to submarines.The most we can do is to show some interest in a joint venture in future( after getting some experience in that field).
Keep up the good discussion.
 

Welcome

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China's vice-president, Zheng Dejiang, met with civil and military leaders in Pakistan on 9-10 June in a visit surrounded by reports of a major new defence deal under discussion that would see Pakistan buying at least three Chinese submarines.

Speaking to Jane's on 9 June, a senior Pakistani government official said the Pakistan Navy began discussions with "the Chinese authorities last month for an eventual submarine deal" for up to three or four boats, but declined to specify the types or terms under discussion.

China has a long history of helping Pakistan overcome shortages of key military hardware, notably the hardware it was denied by the Western world following sanctions imposed from 1990 in response to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme.

The Pakistani government official who spoke to Jane's on 9 June said that it was vital for the navy to acquire more submarines to offset "the pressure we will definitely come under" due to the rapid expansion of India's naval capability. "Our Chinese brothers have always come to our help and we are asking them for assistance once again," he said.

Although neither China nor Pakistan have ever publicly revealed the terms of their past financial arrangements, defence analysts say that China continues to offer long-term loans to Pakistan on concessional terms, allowing the country to continue with its military hardware purchases.

http://www.janes.com/news/defence/naval/jdw/jdw100611_1_n.shtml
is their any R&D agency in pakistan or not ? i mean why to talk with china they can do it by investing some money on R&D and build their own indigenous Submarine...
 

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KARACHI: The Pakistan Army is inching closer to realising its dream of owning Predator drones – the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) notorious for launching successful strikes against high-profile militants – even as the institution keeps the deal under wraps, The Express Tribune has learnt.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GAAS) Inc., the US-based company that manufactures Predators, informed The Express Tribune via email that it has the approval for an 'export-approved version' of the aircraft, which it now plans to sell for the first time to countries outside the US, Nato countries, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Earlier, the company's president Frank Pace was quoted in the press as saying that "General Atomics see the potential for sales of as many as 100 units in the Middle East and Pakistan of the so-called Predator XP model approved for export." The Middle East countries include Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

This statement was made at the recently held Farnborough Air Show near London, where a delegation of the Pakistan armed forces was also present to display their two JF-17 Thunder aircraft.

When asked to elaborate on the above statement, a GAAS spokesperson Kimberly A Kasitz said: "It is true that various Middle Eastern countries have expressed interest in an export-approved version of Predator A and that we have received licences to begin discussions with several of these countries about a potential sale."

Kasitz added that the company has applied for a licence with the US State Department to begin negotiations for such a sale with Pakistan also. But she clarified that it was still pending and as of now "we have not yet received a licence."

Local drone manufacturers in Pakistan, who wish to stay anonymous, insist that the development is significant. "The admission of seeking a licence only goes to show that our armed forces have sent their specifications to the company," says one insider, who has sold his UAVs to many foreign countries, including the US.

"When one applies for a licence from the State Department, it's not just a request asking for permission to talk to a certain customer. Companies only seek a licence when they get a complete list of their customer's requirements." He says that it is only a matter of time before Pakistan will be spending millions of dollars on the product.

However, another industry insider from Islamabad says the "GAAS was pursuing this with the US government for more than a year now and seems like they may have been given the nod. However, the first buyers are likely to be the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan's turn will come much later."

Elaborating, he says there are many concerns over giving such a sophisticated product to Pakistan, including the fear that it may be used on the border with India. "They are also worried about the possibility that cheap Chinese copycats would be made in case Beijing gained access to the product."

He informed that another drone, the Boeing's Scan Eagle, was also being considered by our forces.

Experts argue that the GAAS's Predator A or Predator XP type product being offered by GAAS is a "stripped down" drone which is unarmed and capable of reconnaissance missions only. Also, they point out that the Predator requires satellite feed to operate in order to truly utilise its capabilities. "One can operate a Predator-type drone even without a satellite using ground control stations only. But the problem in that case would be that it would operate only when the UAV is within line of sight. For any operations beyond visual range, which truly is the hallmark of the Predator, would require satellite links," says an expert, adding that the less said about the state of Pakistani satellites the better.

A senior Pakistan army official backed the claim and said: "The only reason why we still don't have an armed drone like the Predator is that it requires satellite capability. It's true that until we cross that hurdle, we won't be able to realise the full potential of such a high-end product even if we get it."

The price of a Predator is anywhere between $4 and $15 million. According to an estimate, a 10 aircraft Predator system comprising ground stations and software can carry a price-tag of a staggering $400 million.

Meanwhile, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Athar Abbas has denied knowledge of any communication with the American company GAAS. He said as of today no "official contact" has been made with the company.

He denied that any meeting between representatives of GAAS and Pakistan armed forces took place at the Farnborough Air Show regarding the Predator drones. "To suggest anything about prospects for Predator-type drones for Pakistan would be speculation," he added.
 

EagleOne

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^^ what Pakistan want is armed drones but these are unarmed drones ....will pakistan army will accept these ??
 

nitesh

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well we know this already don't we

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...ewspaper/editorial/is-it-too-late-already-480
Is it too late already?

THERE was a time when political analysts described Pakistanis as being moderate in their religious beliefs and practices.

It was the Islam of the Sufis and the saints rather than the orthodox view that had greater appeal. That is why, observers pointed out, religious parties in Pakistan had never won more than five per cent of the popular vote in general elections. Gen Musharraf is alleged to have manipulated the 2002 elections to help the MMA win a respectable presence in some assemblies.

Can one say the same thing about the mindset of the youth in Pakistan today? There are three examples that have come to my notice of late that I find disturbing. It appears the process of the religious radicalisation of Pakistanis is now a fait accompli. There is a story on the news website of Asia Times Online, a successor to the prestigious Hong Kong-based Asia Times magazine that ceased publication in 1997. According to Syed Saleem Shahzad, atonline.com'scorrespondent in Pakistan, several hundred students, members of the Islami Jamiat-i-Tulaba in Karachi, have left for Waziristan to join Al Qaeda training camps in Fata. If true, this is food for thought.

Yet another example of extremism came through an email I received in response to my write-up on Education and bigotry (July 14) from a person describing himself as a retired naval officer who does not wish to be named here.

He had this to say, "The most worrisome part of our current education system may perhaps be this. As member of the faculty at Pakistan Navy's premier institute, over a period I observed (much to my horror), the upcoming generation of officers imbued with a fanatical desire to go to war with India. Not only that, these officers are intolerant in mundane academic discussions, some even feel elated when acts of violence take place against minorities. This then is the trend that seems to be gathering momentum"¦."
:emot0:
Another indication I received of our youth's thinking was several months ago from Pervez Hoodbhoy, associated with the physics department at the Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad. One of our most rational and sensible academics, Hoodbhoy found himself facing an angry 'mob' of young students in a university auditorium after a lecture he gave on one of the issues that confront Pakistan today. Hoodbhoy's pacifist views on the nuclear bomb and India-Pakistan friendship are well-known and unpopular with the apostles of war. They do not go down well with a huge chunk of the youth on campuses it appears.

Although all this is worrying, it is not surprising. We could see it coming given the direction education, politics and strategic planning has taken in Pakistan. Gen Ziaul Haq with his Islamisation policy is held to be the main culprit. But the roots of this phenomenon go back deeper into the past. It was no coincidence that politics, education, strategic planning and religion were closely coordinated by an establishment that controlled Pakistan's national life.

Once Pakistan was born, the Jamaat-i-Islami, the major representative of the religious right, switched sides. From a major opponent of the concept of Pakistan it moved into the country to become a major player here. And how did it do it? By championing the cause of theocracy and more importantly by projecting the spectre of an Islamic revolution backed by the Muslim masses. Maulana Maududi, the founder of the Jamaat, received wholehearted backing from the West, especially the US. Islam was seen by an America under the spell of McCarthyism as a powerful weapon to be used against another spectre — that of the Red revolution.

How did the political leadership in Pakistan react to this so-called threat? It went on the defensive, believing that the people were religious minded and would support the party that stood for Islam. Political leaders lacked the confidence to follow the path of moderate Islam of the pre-1947 years. Besides, Jinnah, the leader who had led the struggle for Pakistan, died in 1948. In the pre-partition years, the Muslim League did not face a challenge from the religious right on the definition of an Islamic state.

Hence all crucial political decisions in Pakistan after 1948 were the outcome of a government "remorselessly haunted by political nightmares". The Objectives Resolution of 1949, the inept handling by the administration of the anti-Ahmadi agitation in Lahore in 1953, President Ayub Khan's backtracking on his decision to call Pakistan a republic without 'Islamic' being prefixed to it, Z.A. Bhutto's move to declare the Ahmadis non-Muslims. The list could go on.

What about the third player — the army? It co-opted the religious right. As Dr Mubashir Hasan reminded me once, the army had adopted a typically Islamic battle cry from the start. It was not Gen Ziaul Haq's innovation. Religion, it is believed, came in handy to promote the security agencies' aims in Kashmir and later in Afghanistan. India's hard-line stance proved to be helpful.

One may well ask, how does all this impact on the youth? The three forces — the army, political governments lacking confidence if not popular support and the religious right have throughout Pakistan's history been the key decision-makers with the weight of each shifting from time to time as happens in a game of musical chairs.

Different actors have played the role of front man at different times. In one respect they have acted in unison. It has suited each of them to exploit the youth. This has been done by installing a curriculum of hatred in the education system that teaches students to regard non-Muslims as enemies, India as an irreconcilable foe, and a government that does not pay lip service to the virtues of theocracy as un-Islamic.

But here comes the snag. The three actors have never been comfortable bedfellows. Now that the endgame has begun it has turned into a three-cornered fight. They are now locked in an open war as each tries to woo the youth. But it may already be too late.

[email protected]
 

ajtr

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"The most worrisome part of our current education system may perhaps be this. As member of the faculty at Pakistan Navy's premier institute, over a period I observed (much to my horror), the upcoming generation of officers imbued with a fanatical desire to go to war with India. Not only that, these officers are intolerant in mundane academic discussions, some even feel elated when acts of violence take place against minorities. This then is the trend that seems to be gathering momentum"¦."
Nitesh why this is surprising to you???Didnt to listen to the mumbai tapes or dont you know about the recent incident of shooting by pakistani lieutenant at the CRPF post on UNO peace mission?Thats another thing pak army immediately declared him mentally unbalanced and sent him home to protect his skin.Actually there is issues of grandstanding and fictious illusory life with pak officers corps as above line points out and as Ex-air chif marshal of PAF once wrote in his dawn article above same problems with pak army officers.
 

nitesh

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Nitesh why this is surprising to you???Didnt to listen to the mumbai tapes or dont you know about the recent incident of shooting by pakistani lieutenant at the CRPF post on UNO peace mission?Thats another thing pak army immediately declared him mentally unbalanced and sent him home to protect his skin.Actually there is issues of grandstanding and fictious illusory life with pak officers corps as above line points out and as Ex-air chif marshal of PAF once wrote in his dawn article above same problems with pak army officers.
I think they are not able to digest that so called savior of muslims army has surrendered in front of infidels.
 

Ray

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Pakistan Al-Qaeda is 'most formidable' threat: US

In an annual report, the State Department said it also learned that Americans were not immune to the lure of Islamist militancy, with some of them hooking up last year with radicals in Pakistan and Somalia.

"Al-Qaeda's core in Pakistan remained during 2009 the most formidable terrorist organization targeting the United States," the State Department's counter-terrorism coordinator Daniel Benjamin told reporters.

"It has proven to be an adaptable and resilient terrorist group whose desire to attack the United States and US interests abroad remains strong," Benjamin said, reading from the Country Reports on Terrorism 2009.

"We assess that Al-Qaeda was actively engaged in operational planning against the United States and continued recruiting, training and deploying operatives, including individuals from Western Europe and North America."

Al-Qaeda, from its safe haven in Pakistan, is helping train and fund the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, which "remained resilient in the south and east and expanded its presence into the north and west," the report said.

In Afghanistan, despite some heavy losses among militants and their leaders, the Taliban's "ability to recruit foot soldiers from its core base of rural Pashtuns remained undiminished," the report said.

In Pakistan, there was still "rising militancy and extremism," it warned.

Al-Qaeda militants, Afghan insurgents and others, it said, are using "safe havens" in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province, southern Punjab, and other parts of Pakistan.

But Benjamin repeated the US contention that Pakistan is now working hard to tackle the threat from militants, after charges that its ISI intelligence service has backed them as a foil to perceived threats from neighboring India.

The report said Al-Qaeda has reeled under a Pakistani military onslaught, lost many of its leaders, and now finds it "tougher to raise money, train recruits and plan attacks" outside Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It also said Al-Qaeda has suffered from a Muslim public backlash as its militants and allies have staged indiscriminate attacks, hitting Muslims in Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia, and elsewhere.

Detailed report:

Pakistan and Terrorism
 

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Pakistan military will remain India-centric, says Hamid Gul


A former ISI chief credited with creating the Afghan Taliban, has said his country's Army will not change its India-centric policy unless the Kashmir issue is resolved.

"The kind of terrorism which is going on in Pakistan is due to Kashmir issue," Hamid Gul, the former head of the Inter Services Intelligence who is believed to have created Kashmiri militants groups and finds frequent mention in the documents released recently by the whistle-blower site WikiLeaks, claimed in the CNN's Connect the World programme. "The second [reason] is because of the wrongful occupation of Afghanistan, by the allied forces, it's very wrongful," he argued.

"So I think that proud nation is being really ravaged which is very wrong. So, this is the root cause — unless you address the root cause, you are not going to find the solution, as far as Pakistan's orientation towards India is concerned that is a reality, and Indians themselves are making it a reality," General Gul claimed. "This is amazing that India continues to aim at Pakistan and considers it the enemy — Kashmir dispute is still going on; Kashmir movement is very much on the boil, and at this time it is expected that Pakistan should shift forces from the eastern border and transfer them to the western border — it is not possible, we don't have the resources," he said.

The former ISI chief told the CNN that the Soviet occupation was wrong, and so is the American occupation.

"And that Afghan nation will not accept that position, Afghan nation has never accepted for past 5000 years, they won't accept it now. So I don't regret it at all, because at that time the whole world was with us. "I think then America should be the first to regret that adventure at that time," he argued.

General Gul argued that there can be no peace in Afghanistan without Mullah Omar. "I think Mullah Omar has to be spoken to — that's very important — because without him no settlement in Afghanistan can take place. He symbolises the national resistance of Afghanistan against the occupation," he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article566903.ece
 

ajtr

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Floodwater 1km away from Shahbaz Airbase


Jacobabad Evacuated

* Water from breached Tori Band likely to reach city within 24 hours

* Aid agencies warn fever, diarrhoea spreading among survivors

* 36,000 suspected cases of potentially fatal acute watery diarrhoea reported so far

SUKKUR: As raging river waters caused more devastation in the country on Friday, over 80 percent of the 300,000 people of Jacobabad city were evacuated ahead of expected flooding over the next 24 hours. The water was only one kilometre away from the nearby Shahbaz Airbase.

Floodwater is rushing towards the city after Tori Band (embankment) was breached. According to Jacobabad District Coordination Officer (DCO) Kazim Jatoi, the floodwater had entered Noorwah Canal, which would not be able to withstand the pressure for more than three hours.

"Water, if it enters the city, will first of all affect the nearby Shahbaz Air Base," Jatoi warned.

Dozens of villages were inundated near Sultan Kot in Shikarpur district due to breaches in the Begari and Sindh canals.

Hundreds of villagers are waiting to be rescued in the area. Pakistan Army personnel were able to reach only one of the affected villages, Deen Muhammad Jafferi. They evacuated the people through a boat. Authorities in Sindh said that 45 people drowned in the Indus River on Friday.

Diarrhoea: In the rest of the flood-affected areas, fever and diarrhoea are spreading among the survivors.

"The crisis facing Pakistan is not only enormous, it's still unfolding," UN refugee agency spokesman Adrian Edwards said.

"There continues to be massive destruction as the bloated rivers flow southwards across the plains and the crisis in our view will not be over when the flooding recedes," he said.

The UN said limited access to safe water and crowded and unsanitary conditions in makeshift camps meant an increased risk of diarrhoea, malaria and dengue fever. In Multan, large parts of which have been under water for days, medical workers have seen at least 1,000 children with illnesses such as gastroenteritis in the last three days. "The situation is alarming as the diseases can infect other survivors," said Mumtaz Hussain, a doctor at the main government hospital.

Overall, there have been 36,000 suspected cases of potentially fatal acute watery diarrhoea reported so far.

"This is a growing concern. Therefore we are responding with all kinds of preventative as well as curative medication... for outbreaks," said Maurizio Giuliano, the UN humanitarian operation spokesman.

The UN warned that dams in Sindh province could still burst in the coming days as bloated rivers gush through. More rains are expected over the weekend, and monsoon season is forecast to last several more weeks. In Gilgit-Baltistan, death toll from rains and landslides rose to 116. Diamer and Skardu were the worst-affected districts. agencies
 
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ajtr

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Jacobabad and Thul being evacuated


A large number of hapless survivors, defying hunger and illness, found the strength to trudge all the way from upper Sindh to Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Matiari, and some even to Karachi. - Dawn Photo.



HYDERABAD / KARACHI: The floods bedevilling the country for the past two weeks now appear to have turned their fury to Sindh, forcing the administration to order evacuation of Jacobabad, Thul and a number of other towns along the Indus on Friday.

According to a local official, the Shahbaz airbase, too, is in the path of the advancing floodwaters.

In Jacobabad city and its vicinity, over 500,000 people suddenly found themselves without a roof after being told to abandon their homes and fend for themselves in a region being buffeted by raging rivers which have decimated an already hopeless infrastructure.

The warning bells started tolling after a breach in Tori bund set off a giant outflow from Noor Wah canal.

To make matters worse, 1.6 million people have been marooned in the kutcha area after torrents submerged around 25,000 villages, the chief of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha, told journalists.

In reply to a question about assessment damage to agriculture and livestock, he said: "The enormity of the calamity is beyond all calculation. For now, the government is overwhelmed by relief and rehabilitation work.

"The assessment will be done after a semblance of sanity returns."

A large number of hapless survivors, defying hunger and illness, found the strength to trudge all the way from upper Sindh to Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Matiari, and some even to Karachi.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah told a press conference in Sukkur on Friday that flood victims would be relocated in Hyderabad and Karachi.

Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, in a media briefing, said the provincial government had decided to set up tent cities in Karachi, Hyderabad and Jamshoro to accommodate the homeless.

According to the chief secretary, evacuation has also been ordered in Dokri, Larkana district.

"Kashmore, Ghouspur, Karampur and Khanpur have been inundated while Shikarpur is facing a similar danger," Mr Fazlur Rehman said. The Railways has started two shuttle services — Jacobabad-Sukkur and Jacobabad-Sibi — for the evacuation.

GRIM OUTLOOK:

Recent forecasts by the Flood Forecasting Division have been ominous. They speak of 'high' or 'very high flood' in upper reaches of the Indus, which will travel downstream Indus up to Kotri barrage.

The current deluge has made a mockery of all estimates of discharges in Indus upstream.

An official of the United Nations even went to the extent of describing it as a "calamity of biblical proportions".

"The crisis is not only enormous, it's still unfolding," Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the world body's relief agency, said.

An official of the Sindh information department expressed similar fears.

"A new wave of floods may hit Sindh in three or four days."

HYDERABAD:

The district administration in Hyderabad has turned to Sailani Welfare Trust, a welfare organisation, for provision of food to stricken people sheltered in camps.

The administration is looking for land in Ganjo Takkar area to set up a makeshift village.

Identical plans are being worked out for Jamshoro district, which has a vast hilly area for establishing a tent city.

DADU:

Five breaches occurred in a private embankment in a kutcha area of Moundar town in Dadu district on Friday midnight, inundating the main road connecting the town with other areas. About 10,000 people were stranded and army teams arrived to shift them to safe places.
 
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ajtr

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Pak's Shahbaz Air Base 'Controlled' by US: Lashari



Pakistan's Shahbaz air force base in southern Sindh province, which is home to the country's newest F-16 jets, is "controlled by the US", a senior official has said, triggering a denial from America which described the remarks as "completely false."

Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari made the stunning claim about the Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad area during an appearance before the Standing Committee on Health of the Senate or upper house of Parliament yesterday.

Lashari said the relief operations in flood-hit areas of Jacobabad could not be conducted from the airbase because of this reason.

"Health relief operations are not possible in the flood-affected areas of Jacobabad because the airbase is with the United States," he said answering a question from a member of the committee.

There have been unconfirmed reports in the past that the Shahbaz airbase is used by the US to operate drones which have been targeting militants in Pakistan's restive tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

Senator Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui, a member of the Senate panel, was quoted by the media as saying, "It is very unfortunate that Americans can launch a drone attack from Shahbaz airbase but the government is helpless even in using the country's base for relief operations."

She questioned why the Health Minister had failed to report the matter to the Pakistan Army.

However, the US embassy denied that Shahbaz airbase was controlled by American authorities.

"These allegations are completely false. Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad is a Pakistan Air Force base, commanded and operated by PAF forces," the embassy's spokesman said in a statement.

The Shahbaz airbase is home to Pakistan's newest F-16 Block 52 jets that were delivered by the US this summer, the spokesman said.

"PAF personnel maintain high security standards there to ensure that the technologically advanced aircraft can be securely maintained and operated from the base," he said.

On August 18, at the request of the Pakistan government, C-130 aircraft of the US Air Force flew to Shahbaz airbase from the PAF base in Rawalpindi to ferry urgently needed relief supplies for Jacobobad, the spokesman said.

He contended that "misinformation during times of disaster can hurt relief efforts."

The US has emerged as one of the main contributors of funding and relief materials for the millions of victims of the floods across Pakistan in a bid to counter rising anti-American sentiments in the country.
 

ajtr

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Why Pakistan Cannot Have Predators


August 20, 2010: For years, Pakistan has pressured the U.S. to sell (or give) them Predator UAVs. The Americans refused, at first quietly, but now openly. The U.S. has offered three units of the smaller (160 kg) Shadow 200 models. These are widely used by the U.S. Army, but are not large enough to carry 45 kg Hellfire missiles, like the one ton Predator does. The U.S. doesn't want Pakistan to have Predator/Hellfire partly to keep the technology away from China, partly to keep the systems from being used to kill tribal leaders the U.S. does not consider hostile. The U.S. also fears Pakistan would use Predators used against India. Above all, these UAVs are in big demand by American and NATO forces, who have priority.
The Pakistanis are also prone to corruption, and giving them missile armed Predators would encourage Taliban and tribal leaders to offer money, or cooperation, to avoid a Hellfire missile. You can't bribe the Americans, which is what really annoys many Pakistanis. What also annoys Pakistanis is the Americans constantly pointing out that Islamic terrorists are killing far more Pakistanis than the Indian armed forces, and the two countries have not fought a way for over 30 years. Yet Pakistan still keeps most of its security forces aimed at India, while India pays more attention to the Chinese threat.

Pakistan has another problem in that the most prolific exporter of world class UAVs, Israel, is one nation Pakistan officially hates and cannot do business with. The only other supplier of first rate UAVs is the United States. Some European nations are developing first rate UAVs, but these are not available yet.

Each RQ-7B Shadow 200 UAV unit requires 20-30 troops to operate and maintain four UAVs and the ground control equipment. Typically, each combat brigade has one Shadow UAV system. Export customers pay about $16 million for each RQ-7B system, and this includes spare parts, technical assistance and training.

The Shadow 200 UAVs cost $500,000 each, and can stay in the air six hours per sortie. A day camera and night vision camera is carried on each aircraft. Able to fly as high as 4,900 meters/15,000 feet, the Shadow can thus go into hostile territory and stay high enough (over 3,200 meters/10,000 feet) to be safe from hostile rifle and machine-gun fire.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, most Shadow missions were at a lower altitude, and often over a city or town. Brigade and battalion commanders can then get a constant top down view of what's happening down below. Although this sort of thing is technically possible with a commander in a helicopter overhead, the helicopter attracts too much enemy fire to make this practical for any length of time, and are much more expensive to operate. The Shadow UAV, however, can fly high enough in day time to be safe from enemy fire. A night, the Shadow can come down lower because they are difficult to spot in the dark.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has also offered Pakistan the smaller ScanEagle UAV, which has a longer endurance. The ScanEagle UAV weighs 18 kg (40 pounds), has a ten foot (three meter) wingspan and uses a new video technology (PixonVision), that provides greater resolution than other video cameras. The ScanEagle can stay in the air for up to 15 hours per flight, and fly as high as 5,200 meters (16,000 feet). The aircraft carries an optical system that is stabilized to keep the cameras focused on an object while the UAV moves. The UAV can operate at least a hundred kilometers from the controller. The ScanEagle is launched from a catapult and landed via a wing hook that catches a rope hanging from a fifty foot pole. Each ScanEagle costs about $100,000, and is widely used by commercial fishing, ocean survey and research ships
 

ajtr

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Above statement proves this guy is trying to pass the buck to US for not providing relief operations in and around the area
He may be right coz to protect Shabaz airbase waters were diverted to Baluchistan.There were rumors that usa flight controllers are there to monitor the F-16s.
 

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