Modi-Trump friendship worries Pakistan
Islamabad: Pakistan voiced concerns Friday, claiming that US President Donald Trump’s administration is laying the groundwork for India to receive F-35 stealth fighters. The country said that the move will upset the regional military balance, jeopardize strategic stability, and impede efforts to bring about enduring peace in South Asia.
A grumpy Additionally, Pakistan cautioned its foreign allies against adopting a “one-sided view that deviates from ground realities.”
“Pakistan is extremely concerned about the planned transfer of advanced military technologies to India,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Friday during a weekly news conference. Such actions jeopardize strategic stability and highlight regional military asymmetries.
“They continue to be ineffective in attaining the goal of a lasting peace in South Asia,” he said. We urge our foreign allies to avoid supporting stances that are biased and disconnected from the realities on the ground and to adopt a comprehensive and impartial approach to South Asian peace and security concerns.”
Following their bilateral discussions, Trump told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, “We will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars starting this year.” Additionally, we are clearing the path for India to eventually get F-35 stealth aircraft.
“There is a process by which platforms are acquired on military sales to India,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a news conference when asked whether India has decided to buy F-35s from America after Trump’s statement. In most situations, a call for bids is issued. To them, there are answers. They are assessed. In my opinion, the process of India acquiring a cutting-edge aviation platform has not yet begun. As a result, this is now in the proposal stage. However, I don’t believe that the official procedure in this respect has begun yet.
The Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA), a new initiative for defense cooperation between the US and India, aims to increase production of autonomous systems and scale industry partnerships, which will promote next-generation defense and technological collaboration, particularly in the area of underwater domain awareness.
With a focus on improved training, exercises, and operations using the newest technology, India and the US also spoke about expanding military cooperation across a variety of domains, including air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.
The next “Tiger Triumph” tri-service exercise, which will take place in India and is bigger and more intricate than its past iterations, was also noted by both leaders. India and the US agreed to enhance information sharing, logistics, and troop mobility in the Indo-Pacific region to assist military deployments abroad.
PM Modi and President Trump inaugurated the “US-India COMPACT for the 21st Century” program to promote “Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology” between the two nations.
In addition, the US president said that Tahawwur Rana, the suspect in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, will be brought to justice in India.
“I am happy to announce that my government has authorized the extradition of one of the world’s most heinous conspirators, Thaawwur Rana, to India so that he may face justice in relation to the horrifying 2008 Mumbai terrorist assault. Trump said, “He is returning to India to face justice.”
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a businessman of Pakistani descent, was found guilty of his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. David Headley was one of Rana’s accomplices; he collaborated with Rana and entered a guilty plea.
