India to deploy Sukhoi-30 jets on Pakistan border
* Also planning to deploy Sukhois on its north-eastern front with China
NEW DELHI: India has planned to progressively deploy its advanced Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft along its western border with Pakistan, the Times of India reported on Sunday.
According to the daily, the Indian Air Force has planned to deploy its most potent fighter jets to counter threats from Pakistan, which is in the process of obtaining F-16 aircraft from the United States and JF-17 Thunder jets from China. It has also planned to station aircraft at several bases on its north-eastern front with China.
Presently, India has positioned its Sukhois only at Pune, Jodhpur and Bareilly. They are also operated from the airbases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Halwara.
India is expected to get fresh deliveries of the aircraft soon. The newspaper reported that the process to identify important airbases to station more squadrons was also underway.
Thus far, India has received 60 jets out of the total of 230 aircraft contracted from Russia at a cost of $8.5 billion. As many as 140 of the jets would be produced in India under licence by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The government has directed HAL to complete the project by 2013-2014, in view of a shortage of fighter squadrons.
The number of fighter squadrons in India is down to 32 from the “sanctioned” strength of 39. The Indian Air Force is also facing “poor serviceability” of its fleets consisting of MiG-21, MiG-27 and Jaguar aircraft.
The newspaper quoted Western Air Command (WAC) chief Air Marshal PK Barbora as saying, “Our assets have to be distributed all over the country in line with our operational thinking. After the east, the planning is to base Sukhois in our area of responsibility.”
As many as 18 important airbases, including Srinagar, Leh, Thosie, Awantipur, Ambala, Amritsar, Halwara and Nal are under the control of the WAC. However, several of them require new squadrons to maintain their operational readiness. The Halwara airbase houses the old and accident-prone MiG-23s, which are being phased out.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-5-2008_pg7_1
Wattoo resigns from PML-Q
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) vice president Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo resigned from his party after being appointed as the adviser to prime minister and being granted federal minister status, Aaj television reported on Sunday. The channel reported that Wattoo called on PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain in Lahore and submitted his resignation in person. It quoted Wattoo as saying that he believed in tolerance and humility in politics, adding that he and Shujaat had discussed the political situation, as well as the prevailing crises currently facing the country. The channel said that the PML-Q president had accepted Wattoo’s resignation and appointed former NA speaker Ameer Hussain as the new vice president of the party.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-5-2008_pg7_3
Jaipur blasts aimed at derailing India-Pakistan ties: Manmohan
NEW DELHI: The recent bombings in the Indian city of Jaipur were aimed at disrupting newly formed peaceful ties with Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday.
“There is no doubt that terrorist elements have many objectives,” Manmohan said in response to questions about last Tuesday’s blasts, The Times of India newspaper reported on Sunday.
One of these objectives is to “prevent normalisation of relations with Pakistan”, he was quoted as saying. “We have to be mindful of these nefarious designs.”
The premier was addressing reporters in the state of West Bengal at the end of a two-day visit to Bhutan.
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is to visit Pakistan next week for the first official talks between both the countries since a new government took office in Islamabad.
The multiple bombings in the historic city of Jaipur left 61 people dead and another 90 wounded. Indian authorities have repeatedly suggested blame would eventually fall on Islamic militants.
Indian officials have in the past blamed Pakistan-based extremist groups for a spate of bombings that killed hundreds in India since 2005. Pakistan denies any role in the bombings.
While government officials haven’t named any suspects in the Jaipur blasts, media reports have quoted police as saying they are investigating possible links between the attacks and the Bangladesh-based extremist group Harkatul-Jehad-i-Islami.
A previously unknown militant group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen also claimed responsibility, saying it planted bicycles packed with explosives on the city’s crowded streets.
The claim of responsibility was made in a pair of videos and an e-mailed document. Authorities said they were investigating the communications to determine their authenticity.
During his Pakistan trip, Mukherjee is to hold talks reviewing the three-year dialogue between the former enemies, focusing on border disputes, trade, cultural relations, counter-terrorism and fighting drug trafficking, India’s External Affairs Ministry said.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars in the six decades since both gained independence from Britain, but relations have improved since they embarked on a peace process in 2004.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-5-2008_pg7_13