Senate Standing Committee on Defence Weekly Highlight of Stories and Events
5th Weekly Report
20th-25th of July, 2015

1- India shows concern over Pakistan’s JF-17 export order.

• The PAF is celebrating its first ever export deal of JF-17 fighter jets signed with an Asian country.
• Pakistan Airforce takes a decisive lead, as its JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighter aircraft secure an export deal, whereas JF-17’s Indian counterpart, Tejas, struggles to even reach completion.
• The situation can be read into as, doubly troublesome for India because not only are the Tejas fighter jets far for completion, but also because the IAF needs nearly 10 more fighter squadrons to match a threat from Pakistan and China.
• The much talked about Indo-French deal pertaining the acquisition of a large number of Rafale fighter jets, is still being negotiated upon, however it is predicted to reach an ultimatum in another month.   

2- India’s corps commander warns Pakistan of ‘unexpected damage

• Commenting on the recent LOC perturbances between India and Pkaistan, Gen Singh of India, threatened Pakistan of grave repercussions.
• According to the Indian general the Pakistan army would be responsible for the said repercussions, since allegedly it opened fire on the Indian side.
• on the other hand, Pakistan has lodged a complaint with the UN for similar Indian violations
• Ironically, the leaders of both the antagonistic nations were engaged in peace dialogues, asking for each other’s support in peace for the region 

3- PM Nawaz Sharif invited by President Obama for a US visit.

• In an effort to intensify and develop relations between the US and Pakistan, the Pakistani PM has been invited for a visit to the US by Obama, a senior diplomat revealed.
• Other reasons for the visit are also being related to showing support for the Sharif Government, and regional development.
• The US has been record, showing support towards Pkaistan’s role in the ongoing Afghan peace process. 

4. US lawmakers urge Pakistan to take action against all militants.

• In what seems similar to the ‘do more’ stance of the US, Pakistan is reported to again being urged of it in its action against militant factions.
• Senior Pakistani diplomats faced annoyance by the US counterparts over this issue, at  the hill, where they were present for talks rallying their country’s position.
• The US brought up the Malala incident and the Mumbai attacks, and Pakistan’s alleged failure to deal with the suspects of both. Pakistan wa surged to tackle terrorists, with similar zeal, on both sides of the border.  

5. ISI to develop system to counter US’ NSA.

• The Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s premier military run spy agency, reportedly tried to tap into worldwide internet traffic via under water cables that pass through “landing sites” in and around Karachi.
• Privacy International, which made these claims, also reported that the spy agency sought to purchase domestic spying tool kits and had even hired intermediaries to carry out the task.
• The kind of data collection and surveillance being sought by the ISI would give them a capacity matching some of the most powerful surveillance programmes in the world, claimed Privacy International.

6. SHC addresses row between military estate office and villagers.

• The Hyderabad Bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday directed both parties to hold status quo till the next hearing on August 11 in a case of Ms Khan Bibi vs the Military Estate Officer and  the Cantonment Executive Officer.
• Khan Bibi, the petitioner, took the plea that despite previous court and local administration orders to the MEO and CEO not to construct any further infrastructure and/or building on the land in question, both were continuing building and construction work which was a direct violation of the orders.
• The petitioner also stated that the defendants also tried to pressurize her by lodging Fake cases against her and her family members.
• The decision is a the latest in more than a decade long case where the MEO and CEO are attempting to depossess the petitioner and other villagers from the land in question.

7. Afghanistan protest against cross border shelling.

• Afghanistan on Thursday accused Pakistan of shelling afghan villages on its border with Pakistan, which it claims left three people dead. The Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mr Abrar Hussain was also summoned to the Afghan Foreign Ministry to lodge a formal protest.
• Afghanistan claims  that the latest incident is one of a series of cross border shelling incidents in the past month which are creating hatred among locals for its neighbor and which could lead to a souring of relations between the two neighbors
• sources in the Pakistani military denied the allegations but did say that the possibility of incidents like these do exist because the military targets terrorists trying to cross the border into Afghanistan through small unprotected pockets
• Commander Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces in Afghanistan General John Campbell visited the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on the same day where he met with COAS General Raheel Sharif. There is no news on whether views were exchanged between the two generals regarding cross border shelling.