Daily Times

BEIJING: Pakistan will dispatch 19 fighter aircraft to China to participate in a joint air force exercise being held by the end of this year.

“It will be the 6th edition of joint air force exercise. Pakistan will send its 19 aircraft to take part in this bilateral exercise. This will be the highest number of aircraft sent by Pakistan to any country for bilateral exercises,” Pakistan’s Defense Attaché to China Brig Ahmed Bilal said.

He was talking to China Global Television Network (CGTN) in connection with the 90th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). He said that at the end of the year, the two countries would again hold a joint naval exercise and joint army training for counter terrorism. “Hundreds of soldiers will be take part in these exercises and interact with each other. The joint training of the both the armies will continue for nearly 10 weeks,” he said.

While commenting on China-India border standoff and the present situation on the Line of Control (LOC), he said both Pakistan and China would stand together to maintain regional stability threatened by India’s dangerous and negative trends.

He said that the outlook of Sino-Indian and Pak-Indian border disputes was different, but conflict dynamics were the same. “India actually feels emboldened and it believes to have some support of world powers and consequently they can put the regional stability at stake. That is why they have been more aggressive in recent past. It is a dangerous and negative trend,” he said.

He said both China and Pakistan had disputes on borders with India. “However, the recent border standoff between China and India at Donglang has changed the security situation in the region,” he said.

“In case of Pakistan, as the freedom struggle gains momentum in Indian-held Kashmir, India has again reactivated the LOC to divert attention of the international community from the ongoing freedom struggle,” he added.

While elaborating the dangerous and negative trends coming from the Indian side, he said India had always acted aggressively due to domestic compulsions. “Secondly, they (Indians) have given the task of fighting the war to their media. Thirdly, they like to exploit multilateral forums to promote their narrative in their bilateral disputes,” he said.

Brig Bilal said these negative trends were going to affect the regional stability. “But I am sure, in the case of the current standoff, with Chinese prudence and patience, this is going to induce some sense in the Indian side,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, August 2^nd , 2017.