 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
 |
 |
|
| US can’t ignore Pakistan: Kayani |
|
|
|
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
JF-17 Thunder aircraft rolled out; PM urges self-reliance in defence
By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
KAMRA: Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has made it emphatically clear that Washington will have to keep Pakistan on board while reviewing its Afghan policy as Islamabad has a key role in ensuring and maintaining peace in the region.
The Army chief, who looked visibly jubilant over the achievements of his troops first in Swat-Malakand and now in South Waziristan, was informally talking to this scribe at the historic ceremony of the rolling out of the JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighter plane of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
Gen Kayani, who visited the conflict zone about half a dozen times in recent weeks, was confident about a final victory over the terrorists who are now on the run.
The COAS insisted that the Americans could not afford to ignore Pakistan while formulating a policy about the region as they had been consulting Pakistan on important occasions in the past.
The Army chief’s statement has come in the wake of a major policy review in Washington and the new US strategy about the region. Kayani recalled that the operation was launched the day the decision was taken in a high-level meeting in Islamabad. The terrorist leaders were expecting it a couple of days later.
Answering a question, Kayani said the Army will keep on tracking the terrorists in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and the operation to hunt them down will continue till the peace and tranquillity return to the area.
He dispelled the impression that most of the terrorist leaders had fled to Afghanistan. The Army will continue to chase them and the operation could be expanded for the purpose. “Eventually, we will totally smash Baitullah’s terror network and with the cooperation of the people the whole area would be transformed into a peace zone,” he said.
The sophisticated JF-17 Thunder, painted green and white in the colour scheme of the national flag, appeared with grandeur amid thundering sound and colour display as Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani unveiled the fighter jet before the cheering audience.
The event has been termed the beginning of a new era of Pak-China friendship and cooperation. Naval chief Admiral Noman Bashir has gone for Hajj and the Navy was represented by acting naval chief Admiral Asif Humayun. General Kayani felicitated Chief the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman on the auspicious occasion. He lauded the role of the PAF in actions against the terrorists in Swat-Malakand and South Waziristan.
Meanwhile, addressing the ceremony, Gilani reiterated his government’s firm resolve to eradicate ignorance, illiteracy and backwardness to carve a respectable niche for the country in the comity of nations.
Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek, Federal Ministers Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khan and the three services chiefs attended the ceremony.
With this Pakistan has joined the international community of fighter aircraft manufacturers as JF-17 Thunder, the first ever multi-role state-of-the-art plane rolled out of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex here and was included in the fleet of the Pakistan Air Force.
Addressing a select gathering of local and foreign dignitaries and PAF officials, the prime minister said progress and prosperity could not be achieved without achieving self-reliance in defence production.
He termed the manufacturing of JF-17 Thunder aircraft the “achievement of an important milestone” in the government’s ongoing efforts to attain self-reliance.
The prime minister assured full cooperation, support and patronage to the PAF in its projects, adding the national project would be remembered as a landmark in the country’s history.
Referring to the present challenges, Gilani said the fast changing technology intensive battle arena required intense involvement of air power which had emerged as a major player in conflict scenarios.
He said the role of air force also becomes vital in tackling the threat posed by the forces of extremism and militancy. Under these circumstances, he said, a modern air force was a national requirement adding the government was making sincere efforts for a strong and well-equipped Pakistan Air Force.
He said that the JF-17 programme had provided employment to about 5,000 people. Referring to long and trustworthy relations between Pakistan and China, the prime minister said: “It is not trade or economics that we collaborate and cooperate in, but our association and fraternal ties bind us in the everlasting embrace of friendship.” Gilani thanked the Chinese friends for providing the PAF the required technical assistance for the programme.
Chief of the Air Staff Rao Qamar Suleman highlighted the efforts of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra in establishing itself as a hub of aviation industry. Luo Zhaohui, on behalf of the Chinese government, appreciated the technical acumen of the PAC Kamra in acquiring complex skills and expertise in fighter aircraft manufacturing. He said the collaboration between the two peace loving countries in air defence was a major step for the region’s peace.
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
CJ says good governance being compromised
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that good governance is being compromised as it is believed that the administration of justice is the sole duty of courts or the legal fratern more |
|
|
Hakimullah dies of wounds in Multan?
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Reports about the death of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud once again started circulating on Tuesday and this time it was being reported that the militant commander had succumb more |
|
|
MNAs seek solution to Sindh-Punjab water rift
ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday urged for the resolution of the water crisis between Punjab and Sindh, failing which would lead to serious repercussions for the country.
Yousuf Tal more |
|
|
Good governance hinges on change in national behaviour: PM
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that change in the collective behaviour of the nation is necessary for the promotion of good governance. He said that his government believed in streng more |
|
|
NIC made mandatory to get sugar from USC outlets
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Tuesday made it mandatory to produce national identity cards to get a pack of 2kg sugar from the USC outlets.
The ECC met here unde more |
|
|
|
Three provinces to hold LG polls in four months
By Hanif Khalid & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting here on Tuesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr decided that the chief ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan would hold local government elections in four months.
President Asif Al more |
|
|
|
Senators condemn attack on Sh Rashid
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Tuesday strongly condemned the murder attempt on Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members advised Sheikh Rashid to stop more |
|
|
|
PIA obliges religiously; latest being religious minister
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), facing a mind-boggling loss of about Rs70billion, has quietly upgraded two seats of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi and his wife fr more |
|
|
|
A brigadier without brigade has a history of thrashing
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The basher-brigadier of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who assaulted his professor colleague late Thursday, has a long list of such incidents on his credit as his resume is sprin more |
|
|
|
PAC settles drought money misuse
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: A special committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probing misuse of drought funds worth million of rupees on Tuesday conveniently settled majority of charges against deputy auditor general o more |
|
|
|
NA-55 by-polls
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has urged all the political parties, including the PML-N, to withdraw from the NA-55 by-polls in favour of Sheikh Rashid.
“ more |
|
|
|
Point scoring be avoided in Rashid attack case: Shahbaz
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the Rawalpindi incident on Monday had grieved every Pakistani.
He said a joint investigation team comprising federal and provincial agencies including I more |
|
|
|
SC moved against delay in judges’ appointment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was moved on Tuesday against the government’s delay in the appointment of judges in the apex court and was prayed for directing the government to perform its constitutional duty by more |
|
|
|
‘74 killed in Bajaur operation’
By Hasbanullah Khan
KHAR: Security forces claimed to have killed 74 militants and injured 54 others and wrested the strategically important hilltops and areas from the insurgents during the weeklong military operation in the Mamon more |
|
|
|
Afghan unrest kills US, French soldiers
KABUL: A US and French soldiers were killed in attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance said.
The US service member was killed in an improvised bomb blast in southern Afghanis more |
|
|
|
Army called in for today’s Lakki by-election
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The government has requisitioned the services of the Pakistan Army to augment the police and civil security forces for conducting the NWFP Assembly by-election on PF-75 Lakki Marwat for which polling more |
|
|
|
Meeting discusses political issues
ISLAMABAD: A meeting held here at the presidency on Tuesday and presided over jointly by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani discussed political and development issues in the N more |
|
|
|
Rashid accuses PML-N of promoting criminal culture
ISLAMABAD: Head of Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid, on Tuesday criticised the PML-N-led Punjab government for promoting criminal culture in Rawalpindi and the province.
Talking to a private TV channel more |
|
|
|
Briefs...
Over 64 dead in Afghan avalanches
KABUL: At least 24 bodies have been recovered and 40 other people are feared dead after avalanches swept vehicles into a ravine and trapped cars in a mountain pass overn more |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
