US Playing with Fire by Arming Pakistan
By The New Indian Express Published: 16th February 2016 06:00 AM Last Updated: 15th February 2016 10:51 PM
Nobody would believe the US explanation that the sale of eight F-16 aircraft to Pakistan with all the attendant equipment, including radars, will strengthen the fight against terrorism. Announced on Friday last, it is the single largest sale of arms to Pakistan. While the claim that the aircraft which can carry nuclear payloads will help fight global terrorism is laughable, it is certain to increase arms race in the Indian subcontinent. Who does not know that terrorists belong to organisations which are ideologically driven? As of now, they do not have any known access to weapons of mass destruction and there is, therefore, no need for sophisticated aircraft to fight them.
What is certain is that Pakistan will use the new acquisitions to threaten India. That is precisely what it has been doing all these years. In fact, India rightly fears it will embolden Islamabad to take a more aggressive stand. The fear is not in India alone. Pakistan has, over the years, emerged as the fountainhead of terrorism. There has been hardly any terrorist attack anywhere in the world in which Pakistan was not directly or indirectly linked. The whole world has seen how some terrorists from Pakistan sneaked into India and tried to attack the air base at Pathankot. Despite the promise to crack down on the masterminds who planned the attack, Islamabad has done precious little. Instead, it has been claiming that the evidence India supplied is not actionable. That is what it said when India supplied intelligence inputs to track down those who planned the Mumbai attacks as well.
Pakistan’s claim that its latest purchases are nothing compared to what India has been buying is untenable. Unlike Pakistan, India has a long coastline and its maritime interests are huge. Besides, India’s foreign and defence policies are not Pakistan-specific. These should be considered while comparing India’s defence requirements with Pakistan’s. The issue, however, is not the comparative requirements of the two countries but the threat Pakistan poses to India and the world at large. The US has given a leg-up to terrorism in the name of fighting terror.
By The New Indian Express Published: 16th February 2016 06:00 AM Last Updated: 15th February 2016 10:51 PM
Nobody would believe the US explanation that the sale of eight F-16 aircraft to Pakistan with all the attendant equipment, including radars, will strengthen the fight against terrorism. Announced on Friday last, it is the single largest sale of arms to Pakistan. While the claim that the aircraft which can carry nuclear payloads will help fight global terrorism is laughable, it is certain to increase arms race in the Indian subcontinent. Who does not know that terrorists belong to organisations which are ideologically driven? As of now, they do not have any known access to weapons of mass destruction and there is, therefore, no need for sophisticated aircraft to fight them.
What is certain is that Pakistan will use the new acquisitions to threaten India. That is precisely what it has been doing all these years. In fact, India rightly fears it will embolden Islamabad to take a more aggressive stand. The fear is not in India alone. Pakistan has, over the years, emerged as the fountainhead of terrorism. There has been hardly any terrorist attack anywhere in the world in which Pakistan was not directly or indirectly linked. The whole world has seen how some terrorists from Pakistan sneaked into India and tried to attack the air base at Pathankot. Despite the promise to crack down on the masterminds who planned the attack, Islamabad has done precious little. Instead, it has been claiming that the evidence India supplied is not actionable. That is what it said when India supplied intelligence inputs to track down those who planned the Mumbai attacks as well.
Pakistan’s claim that its latest purchases are nothing compared to what India has been buying is untenable. Unlike Pakistan, India has a long coastline and its maritime interests are huge. Besides, India’s foreign and defence policies are not Pakistan-specific. These should be considered while comparing India’s defence requirements with Pakistan’s. The issue, however, is not the comparative requirements of the two countries but the threat Pakistan poses to India and the world at large. The US has given a leg-up to terrorism in the name of fighting terror.
