Pakistan and France have a history of defence procurement/sales stretching back decades. The navy had its first Daphne-class submarines in 1971, succeeded by the Agosta 70s and 90s both equipped with the Exocet subsurface-to-surface missile. Exocets also equip our Sea King helicopters. We have for decades used the French Breguet Atlantique maritime reconnaissance aircraft; which is now rather long in the tooth and being replaced by the more capable P3C Orion. French Mirage fighters preceded…
Posts published in “Pakistan”
By Abbas Ali GILGIT-BALTISTAN is a simmering cauldron of discontent. The continued deprivation of political, economic and human rights is driving the people of this strategic northern end of Pakistan to desperation. They have been fighting for their rights not just since 1947, when they won liberation from Dogra rule, but since Dogra occupation of 1848. A brief review of history will be in order to understand the current hostile attitude of the people towards…
By Zulfiqar Ghuman ISLAMABAD: Minister for Kashmir Affairs and the Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday dissolved the seven-member Northern Areas cabinet – two days ahead of its scheduled annual budget, Daily Times has learnt. “Yes, the cabinet has been dissolved, but the council is intact,” Mirza Hussain, an adviser on revenue to Northern Areas Council, told Daily Times. Hussain said although the minister had the authority to dissolve the cabinet and even the…
The Daily Times, July 24 The French minister said Pakistan was going through a difficult phase, adding that France would not only provide financial aid, but would also help in capacity building of its armed forces. She said France would provide modern equipment to tackle terrorism. The French official hoped that Pakistan would be successful in implementing democracy and fighting terrorism. Idrac said France had pledged 300 million euros in aid for Pakistan at the…
The writer is a former member of the Pakistan Foreign Service. In hearing a case challenging the appointment of the chief justice of the Azad Kashmir Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on July 2 sought written statements from the Pakistan government and the prime minister, in his capacity as chairman of the Azad Kashmir Council, on whether or not the Supreme Court of Pakistan has jurisdiction over the affairs of Azad Kashmir. The…
The writer is a journalist and has extensive experience of monitoring in disasters I was so late. It was almost one thirty in the hot June afternoon and I was feeling guilty about having kept everyone waiting, but I couldn’t help it. The under-construction road was a torture to travel on and it took nearly two hours to reach Karika from Muzaffarabad. Jawad was asleep by the time I reached there. He looked adorable with…
The writer is an ex-commander of Special Service Group(SSG) A great deal of water has flowed down the bridge since the Kargil Campaign and much to the comfort and relief of Musharraf, the muffled voice of Kargil now seems to be dying out. It is agonising that a debacle of this scale has been allowed to pass through the history without even an internal probe. The Indians despite regaining the heights, held a Kargil Commission…
GILGIT: The development plans in Gilgit-Baltistan have gone heywire due to 1.7 billion cut in the Rs 5.45 billion funds by the federal government, sources in the Public Works Department (PWD) said here. Targeted projects were badly affected due to financial constraints as the responsible quarters could not release the required amount during the previous financial year. During the restructuring process, the sources said it was agreed by the Centre that there would be no…
Skardu: Balawaristan National Front, Baltistan chapter, has supported the proposal of President Asif Ali Zardari to restart peace process with India. It demanded that the true representatives of the people of Kashmir and Balawaristan should be included in any future dialogue with India. These observations came at a meeting of the BNF in Skardu which was presided over by BNF divisional president Mehdi Akmal. The party’s senior vice-president Syed Hyder Shah Rizvi was chief guest…
GILGIT: The proposed reforms package, prepared by the bureaucrats behind closed doors, would not be in favour of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, said Speaker Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA). Talking to Dawn, Malik Mohammad Miskeen said that due to monopoly of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (Kana), problems being faced by the people in the region were increasing day by day. “Political reforms package will further strengthen the grip of the ministry…
LAHORE, July 4: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan says mid-term elections are required for solving the problems being faced by the country. After a meeting with Dr Raghib Naeemi at Jamia Naeemia and visiting Mansoora for condoling the death of former Jamaat-i-Islami amir Mian Tufail, he said conditions in the country had not changed after the elections proving that the Tehrik’s decision to boycott the same was right. He said the country was moving towards…