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President grants awards to personnel of Air Force, Army, Navy on Pakistan Day
March 22, 2010

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has granted military awards to officers and men of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force in recognition to their gallantry contributions,an ISPR press release said here Monday. Detail of Pakistan Army personnel who are nominated for awards are as under:

SITARA-I-BASALAT

Following officers have been conferred with Sitara-i-Basalat:

Major General Bilal Omer Khan (Shaheed), HI (M), AC, Brigadier Syed Hussain Abbas Shah (Shaheed), Punjab , Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Umer, FF and Major Mudassar Razzaq, Avn.

TAMGHA-I-BASALAT

Following officers and men have been awarded Tamgha-i-Basalat:

Brigadier Aftab Afzal, CMI, Brigadier Amer Aslam Khan, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Manzoor Saeed (Shaheed), ASC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Rizwan Lashari, S Bt, SSG, Lieutenant Colonel Jawad Khan (Shaheed), AC, Major Hafiz Atique Ahmed (Shaheed), Baloch, Major Afzaal Ahmed (Shaheed), AD, Major Tauqir Anwar Khan, S Bt, SSG, Major Qaiser Mehmood Sahi (Shaheed), FF, Major Khawar Mubeen Khattak, Punjab, Captain Sohail Akbar (Shaheed), FF, Captain Aamir Butt (Shaheed), Baloch, Captain Asim Karim Khan (Shaheed), Avn, Captain Shahadat Hussain, CMI, Captain Muhammad Khurram Shehzad (Shaheed), Avn, Captain Saifullah, NLI, Captain Aamir Shahzad, SSG, Captain Adnan Javed, SSG, Captain Muhammad Azhar Manzoor, AC, Captain Qammar Abbas (Shaheed), Arty, Captain Fayyaz Ahmed (Shaheed), Punjab, Captain Omerzeb Afzal Baig (Shaheed), AK, Captain Waqar Alam Shah, AC, Lieutenant Muhammad Faraz Malik (Shaheed), Arty, Subedar Rahib Ali Bangash (Shaheed), FC, Naib / Subedar Ismail Khan (Shaheed), FC, Naib / Subedar Muhammad Saleem (Shaheed), Engrs, Naib / Subedar Muhammad Ikram Ullah (Shaheed), AK, Naib / Subedar Muhammad Akram, (Shaheed), Punjab, Naib / Subedar Habib Ur Rehman, (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Fateh Ullah (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Sher Muhammad, (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Muhammad Luqman (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Syed Ahmed Shah (Shaheed), NLI, Havildar Iqbal Shah, (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Imran Ali (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Rehman Wali Afridi (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Muhammad Naeem (Shaheed), Engrs, Havildar Musaver Khan (Shaheed), Punjab, Havildar Ghulam Ahmed (Shaheed), AK, Havildar Nasar Hayat (Shaheed), FF, Havildar Istahzar Hussain (Shaheed), FF, Havildar Muhammad Safdar (Shaheed), FF, Havildar Tariq Mehmood (Shaheed), Sind, Havildar Muhammad Arif (Shaheed), Sind, Havildar Munawar Kamal (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Khajid Ullah, (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Zameer Hussain Shah, (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Muhammad Ijaz (Shaheed), AK, Havildar Anayat Ullah (Shaheed), AK, Havildar Ali Asghar (Shaheed), Avn, Havildar Hazrat Hussain (Shaheed), Avn, Havildar Asif Rashid (Shaheed), Avn, Lance/Havildar Muhammad Sharif (Shaheed), Baloch, Lance / Havildar Muhammad Nazabat, (Shaheed), NLI, Havildar Abbas Raza, (Shaheed), NLI, Lance / Havildar Muhammad Hafeez (Shaheed), Sind, Lance/Havildar Muhammad Ali (Shaheed) Baloch, Naik Javed Shaikh, (Shaheed),NLI, Naik Muhammad Ayub (Shaheed), SSG, Naik Gunner Allah Bux, (Shaheed) Arty, Naik Muhammad Rafiq (Shaheed), SSG, Naik Tariq Irshad Iqbal (Shaheed), Baloch, Naik Muhammad Mehboob (Shaheed), AK, Lance Naik Hadi Gul (Shaheed), FC, Lance Naik Abdur Raheem Khan, (Shaheed) Punjab, Lance Naik Shahid Iqbal (Shaheed), ASC, Lance Naik Fazal Nabi (Shaheed), FF, Lance Naik Muhammad Niaz (Shaheed), SSG, Lance Naik Khizar Iqbal (Shaheed), AK, Lance Naik Qudrat Ali (Shaheed), SSG, Sepoy Hazrat Muhammad, (Shaheed), FC, Sepoy Anwar Ullah Khan, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Sher Dullah Baig, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Jamil Akhter, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Arab Khan, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Mushtaq Ahmed, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Atta Ullah (Shaheed), FC, Sepoy Muhammad Younis (Shaheed), SSG, Sepoy Umer Hayat, (Shaheed) Baloch, Sepoy Qasim Islam (Shaheed), Baloch, Sowar Saif Ur Rehman (Shaheed), AC, Spr Abid Hussain (Shaheed), Engrs, Spr Ahmed Khan (Shaheed), Engrs, Sepoy Sikandar Ali (Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Shafi Ullah (Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Muhammad Pervaiz Iqbal(Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Muhammad Saeed (Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Muhammad Amin (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Tahir Abbas (Shaheed), Arty, Sepoy Rab Nawaz (Shaheed), SSG, OCU Nayer Abbas (Shaheed), Arty, Sepoy Muhammad Shahzad Anjum (Shaheed), FF, Sepoy Hazrat Mir (Shaheed), FF, Sepoy Asim Raza (Shaheed), FF, Sepoy Ubaid Ullah Zahid, Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Hayat (Shaheed) Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Nisar (Shaheed), Sind, Sepoy Sajjad Ur Rehman, (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Arif (Shaheed) Baloch, Sepoy Gul Nawaz (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Imtiaz (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Ghulam Mustefa (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Zaka Ullah, (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Shahbaz Latif (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Ashraf, AK, Sepoy Muhammad Sajid Hafeez (Shaheed), AK, Sepoy Tamour Ahmed Chak (Shaheed), AK, Sepoy Abdul Rehman (Shaheed), AK and Sepoy Javeed Hussain (Shaheed), AK.

HILAL-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY)

Following officers and men have been awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Major General Muhammad Shahid, SI(M), EME, Major General Obaid Bin Zakria, EME, Major General Niaz Kausar Sheikh, SI(M), ASC, Major General Zahir Shah, SI(M), Engrs, Major General Muhammad Khalid, SI(M), Sigs, Major General Muhammad Khalid, Baloch, Major General Kaleem Saber Taseer, Arty, Major General Muhammad Mansha, Baloch, Major General Ghulam Dastagir, Punjab, Major General Abid Pervaiz, AC, Major General Javed Iqbal, FF, Major General Muhammad Saeed Aleem, FF and Major General Azhar Mahmud, AMC.

SITARA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY)

Following officers and men have been awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Brigadier Iftikhar Mahmood Aleem, AC, Brigadier Viqar Rashid Khan, Sigs, Brigadier Akhtar Mahmood, Baloch, Brigadier Muhammad Ayub, Engrs, Brigadier Muzaffar Ali Khan, Arty, Brigadier Tanzeem Ud Din, Arty, Brigadier Ashfaq Hussain Gardezi, GL, Brigadier Muhammad Afzal Khan, FF, Brigadier Masuood Ahmad, FF, Brigadier Abdul Basit, AC, Brigadier Muhammad Waqar Aslam, Arty, Brigadier Naeem Sadiq, Sind, Brigadier Omar Farooq, Engrs, Brigadier Mushtaq Ahmad, Arty, Brigadier Muhammad Mumtaz, Baloch, Brigadier Asrar Ahmad Satti, FF, Brigadier Aziz Ur Rehman, T Bt, Arty, Brigadier Tanvir Ali Kausar, Punjab, Brigadier Waheed Akhtar, Baloch, Brigadier Abdul Waheed Khan, Engrs, Brigadier Sajid Nisar Khan, TI(M), Punjab, Brigadier Zulfiqar Ali, Arty, Brigadier Syed Raza Nawab, AC, Brigadier Rashid Majeeb Alavi, Ord, Brigadier Manzoor Ahmad, Baloch, Brigadier Ahmad Jamal Gilani, Sigs, Brigadier Tasawar Hussain, Baloch, Brigadier Aleem Ud Din Ahmed, Arty, Brigadier Shafqat Hayat Khan, Arty, Brigadier Aulad Hussain Rizvi, AD, Brigadier Muhammad Shakil, EME, Brigadier Muhammad Aman Ullah, RV&FC, Brigadier Abdus Sattar, AMC, Brigadier Muhammad Fayaz, AMC, Brigadier Ghulam Rasul Tariq, TI(M), AMC, Colonel Attiq Ur Rehman, ASC, Colonel Riaz Ur Rehman, FF, Colonel Syed Ahmad Raza, AC, Colonel Sharafat Ali, Baloch, Colonel Shahid Mehboob Elahi Siddiqi, CMI, Colonel Farooq Ashraf, AD, Colonel Shabbir Ahmad, Engrs, Colonel Salman Awais, Sigs, Colonel Abdus Sattar, Arty, Colonel Rashid Ahmad, Punjab, Colonel Mansoor Abbas, Ord, Colonel Tariq Mahmood, EME, Colonel Muhammad Ishfaq, AMC, Colonel Inam Ul Haq, AMC and Colonel Rizwan Masood Butt, AMC.

TAMGHA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY)

Following officers and men have been awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Lieutenant Colonel Yousaf Javed Qureshi, JAG, Lieutenant Colonel Salim Arshad Alyana, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Haider, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Younis, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Fazal Dad, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Shah Rukh Nawaz, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Khalil Zikria, Ord, Lieutenant Colonel Sikandar Hayat Zafar, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Yousaf Khan, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Nawaz, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Imtiaz Ahmad, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Nadeem, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Teepu Sultan, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Zulfiqar Ali, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Qasim Shah, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Allah Rakha Sandhu, ASC, Lieutenant Colonel Ghulam Sarwar, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Mohsin Adeel, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Kamran, SJ, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Mahroof, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Mushtaq Ahmad, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Asim Imran, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Farid Iqbal Khattak, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Shahid Javed, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Dildar Haider Raza, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Imran Safdar, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Mahmood Awan, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Razaq, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Moeen Ghiyas, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Halim, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Haroon Rashid Ch, AD, Lieutenant Colonel Fakhar Ul Islam, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Alam Kayani, ASC, Lieutenant Colonel Arshad Mahmood, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Saqlain Khan, AD, Lieutenant Colonel Faqir Taj, AEC, Lieutenant Colonel Amir Shehzad, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Mahmood, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Amer Ayub, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Ahmad, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Ashiq Hussain, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Afzal Mahmood, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Asad Ullah Baig, Ord, Lieutenant Colonel Intikhab Ahmed Qureshi, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Asif Rashid, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Ghulam Murtaza Shah, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Farooque Azam, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Taseer Ibrahim, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Ahmad Khan, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Mrs Afshan Fayyaz, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Rasikh Maqsood, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Shahzad Akhtar, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Junaid Khan, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Azhar, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Munir, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Miss Iffat Huma, AFNS, Major Aamer Pir Zada, Avn, Major Mahmood Ur Rahman Saqub, Baloch, Major Zubair Ahmed, FF, Major Asim Riaz Hashmat Khan, Arty, Major Malik Muhammad Tanseer Ahmed, Engrs, Major Zulfiqar, Sind, Major Saeed Ahmad, Engrs, Major Anwar Ul Haq, AD, Major Muhammad Shirjeel Khan, T Bt, Arty, Major Umar Hayat, Arty, Major Raja Sajid Mahmood, Punjab, Major Atif Manzoor Ansari, AC, Major Akbar Ali Khan, Ord, Major Muhammad Ali Pasha, AK, Major Tariq Hamid, Punjab, Major Muhammad Tanweer Khan, FF, Major Muhammad Arif Malik, Baloch, Major Tariq Habib Khan, ASC, Major Nadeem Akhtar Rao, Sigs, Major Mohyud Din Khan, AK, Major Syed Jawad Hassan, EME, Major Khawar Zaman. AMC, Major Mrs Rubina Rahman, AMC and Major Mrs Kaukab Aurangzeb, AMC.

IMTIAZI SANAD

Following officers and men have been awarded Imtiazi Sanad:

Brigadier Fiaz Mahmood Qamar, Arty, Brigadier Aamer Riaz, FF, Brigadier Sarfraz Sattar, AC, Brigadier Muhammad Shafiq, AC, Brigadier Abid Mumtaz, Arty, Colonel Asad Shahzada, AC, Colonel Masood Ahmed Babar, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Nadeem Jamshed, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Fahim Akram, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Mustazhar Habib, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Abrar Hussain, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Asad Nawaz, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hashim, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Ahsan Masood, Arty, Major Shah Rukh Mahboob Khan, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Tufail, Avn, Major Ashfaq Ur Rahman, TBt, Avn, Major Irfan Inayat, ASC, Major Amir Ghafoor, Sigs, Major Abrar Hussain, Punjab, Major (Now Lieutenant Colonel) Muhammad Atif Saeed, Avn, Major (Now Lieutenant Colonel) Sheharyar Parvez Butt, AC, Major Masood Azam, Punjab, Major Wajahat Ali Khan, S Bt, SSG, Major Malik Muhammad Iftikhar Khan, Baloch, Major Hilal Rashid Hasnat, Avn, Major Muhammad Asif Siddique, Avn, Major Imran Sartaj, Arty, Major Syed Abbas Raza, FF, Major Nadeem Khan, Avn, Major Malik Mumtaz Jillani, Punjab, Major Abdul Qayyum AK, Major Kashif Imran, NLI, Major Irfan Maqbool, FF, Major Muhammad Changez Zeb, Sind, Major Ghaffar Haider, Baloch, Major Rizwan Bashir, Punjab, Major Muhammad Ali Shah, FF, Major Muhammad Owais Tamimy, Engrs, Captain Syed Jawad Ul Hasnain Kazmi, SSG, Captain Aijaz Ali, NLI, Captain Ali Sheharyar Saadi, SSG, Captain (Now Major) Abrar Hussain, Avn, Captain Mazhar Ali, Avn, Captain Farooq Ahmad, Baloch, Captain Nasir Barkat Ullah Khan, SSG, Captain Abdul Rehman Makky, SSG, Captain Abdul Razzaq, NLI, Captain Zia Ur Rehman, SSG, Captain Hassan Zia, Arty, Captain Nabeel Rasheed, AK, Captain Asad Ullah Ghauri, Sind, Captain Ehsan Ullah, FF, Captain Shahbaz Khan, AC, Captain Nabeel Rehman Mughal, AK, Captain Rizwan Ahmed Shaikh, NLI, Captain Khalid Hussain, Punjab, Captain Muhammad Waqas, FF, Captain Aftab Ahmad, AK, Captain Naseem Jan, NLI, Captain Muhammad Awais Pirzada, Sind, Captain Shahzad Bashir Anjum, AC, Captain Amer Khan, AMC, Lieutenant Obaid Tariq Butt, SSG, Lieutenant (Now Captain) Imran Khan Niazi, SSG, Lieutenant Amir Zaman, FF, Lieutenant Umair Sarwar, AK, Lieutenant Rao Muhammad Suleman, Punjab, Lieutenant Muhammad Arshad Khan, Arty, Lieutenant Muhammad Sohail Shah, Punjab, Lieutenant Bilal Rauf, Punjab, Lieutenant Hamayun Mushtaq, Punjab, Lieutenant Izat Ibrahim, NLI, Lieutenant Syed Hamza Anwaar Naqvi, FF, Lieutenant Aamir Mushtaq, Baloch, Lieutenant Moaz Haider Janjua, NLI, Lieutenant Adil Nisar, Punjab, Subedar Muhammad Bashir, AK, Subedar Muhammad Yousaf, NLI, Subedar Abbas Ali, Punjab, Risaldar Muhammad Feroze, AC, Subedar Muhammad Yar, Sind, Subedar Mir Alam Khan, FF, Subedar Sabir Hussain, FF, Naib/Subedar Sardar Khan, Arty, Naib/Subedar Ghulam Muhammad, NLI, Naib / Subedar Ijaz Hussain, Punjab, Naib/Subedar Muhammad Mumtaz, Sind, Naib / Subedar Niaz Muhammad, FF, Naib/Subedar Muhammad Farooq Azam, FF, Naib / Subedar Iftikhar Hussain, ASC, Naib / Subedar Abdul Waheed, SSG, Naib / Subedar Janas Khan, FC, Dfr Andaz Khan, AC, Havildar Aushiq Hussain, SSG, Havildar Khalil Ahmed, SSG, Havildar Muhammad Hussain, Baloch, Havildar Muhammad Aslam, SSG, Havildar Arfan Ali, SSG, Havildar Bakhtiar Ahmed Khan, FF, Havildar Mehr Zaman, Sind, Lance Havildar Muhammad Shoaib, Baloch, Lance Havildar Maqsud Ahmed, SSG, Lance Havildar Muhammad Khurshid Khan, AK, Naik Imtiaz Ahmed, Baloch, Naik Nusrat Shah, NLI, Naik Muhammad Saeed, SSG, Naik Muhammad Riaz, Baloch, Lance Naik Tika Khan, FC, Unpaid Naik Muhammad Ali, NLI, Unpaid Naik Asrar Hussain, NLI, Lance Naik Iftikhar Ahmed, Baloch, Lance Naik Muhammad Saleem, AK, Lance Naik Wajid Ali, PR (Punjab), Lance Naik Muhammad Ramzan, FF, Sepoy Ghulam Shabbir, Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Ajmal, Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Naves, Baloch, Sepoy Badshah Khan, FC, Sepoy Nasrullah, Baloch, Sepoy Shakeel Ahmed, Baloch, Sepoy Ansar Hayat, NLI, Sepoy Muhammad Amin, NLI, Sepoy Zulfiqar Ali, SSG, Spr Israr Ud Din, Engrs, Spr Christopher, Engrs, Sepoy Muhammad Sharif, NLI, Sepoy Zulfiqar Ali, SSG, Sepoy Rafee Ullah, FF, Sepoy Niaz Ali, FF, Sepoy Khan Muhammad, FF, Sepoy Junaid Sadiq, FF and Sepoy Muhammad Rizwan, AK.

COAS Commendation Card

Following officers and men have been awarded COAS Commendation Card:

Brigadier Abid Saeed, T Bt, Avn, Colonel Moazzam Ejaz, Engrs, Colonel Muhammad Wajahat Ali Ghuman, T Bt, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Khurram Khurazmi, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Naseer Ahmed Khattak, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Mahmood, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Karim Jaffari, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Kamran Hayat Khan, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Pervaiz Aslam, ICTO, Lieutenant Colonel Azmat Habib, NLI, Lieutenant Colonel Riaz Ud Din Kasi, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Iqbal Mirza, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Javaid Hussain Khan Baloch, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Ejaz Ahmad, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Azam Ajmal, ICTO, Lieutenant Colonel Zafar Iqbal, Ord, Lieutenant Colonel Muqarrab Khan Marwat, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Aman Ullah Khan, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Suhail Sadiq, TJ, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Ahmed, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Mahmood, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Farrukh Ejaz Tehseen, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Rizwan Afzal, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Nayyar Abbas, NLI, Lieutenant Colonel Waseem Ahmed, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Waheed Ul Haq, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Aziz, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Rehan Jamshid Namti, ICTO, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Aamir Majeed, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Adil Ashraf Naveed, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Ghaffar, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Rafi Ullah, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Asif Saleem, EME, Major (Now Lieutenant Colonel) Muhammad Arif, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Asim Razzaque, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Javed Iqbal, Avn, Major Agha Asad Farooq Khan, Punjab, Major Asif Jamal, FF, Major Shahid Asghar, ICTO, Major Mudasir Ul Baqer, Engrs, Major Arif Shafique, Avn, Major Khalid Iqbal Muzafar, Avn, Major Hilal Rashid Hasnat, Avn, Major Khurram Altaf Khan, Avn, Major Nazar Abbas, AD, Major Muhammad Jawwad Nasir Malik AC, Major Hassan Abbas, FF, Major Ahmad Ali Khan, FF, Major Javeed Iqbal Khan, CMI, Major Aamer Masood, Avn, Major Zafar Iqbal, AK, Major Ubaid Nasir, Engrs, Major Haroon Mushtaq, CMI, Major Khalid Mehmood, AD, Major Muhammad Tariq Malik, CMI, Major Javed Aslam, Arty, Major Ahmad Usman Nawaz Khan, AC, Major Jahanzeb Khan, Punjab, Major Syed Shehzad Ali Bokhari, AC, Major Khurram Rehmani, EME, Major Kashif Ehtisham, AC, Major Murad Ali Khan, Sind, Major Abdul Hafeez, NLI, Major Shahzad Mussaddiq, AK, Major Mian Waqar Ahmed, Avn, Major Nabeel Asghar, EME, Major Umais Naseem Cheema, Engrs, Major Adil Ghazanfar Ali, Sigs, Major Mrs Ayesha Hafeez, AMC, Major Ahsen Masood, Avn, Major Mehtab Khalique, Avn, Major Ahmad Anwar Baig, Avn, Major Farakh Mustafa Saleem, Avn, Major Syed Faisal Salam, Avn, Major Asif Hayat, Avn, Major Muhammad Anjum Rafique, Avn, Major Muhammad Nabil, Avn, Major Sami Ullah Khan Bangash, Avn, Major Sajid Raza, Avn, Major Muhammad Raza Ayub, Avn, Major Naveed Anwar, Avn, Major Muzammil Saeed, Avn, Major Sohail Bin Shafique, Avn, Major Mrs Syeda Rifaat Qamar Naqvi, AMC, Captain (Now Major) Sajid Hussain Mehar, Avn, Captain (Now Major) Shahid Azhar Kiani, Ord, Captain Waqas Anwar Golra, Avn, Captain Shahid Mahmood, FF, Captain Muhammad Fahad Hafeez, Sind, Captain Saif Ullah Jan, Sind, Captain Tariq Yaqub, AK, Captain Murad Ali Khan, Baloch, Captain Akhunzada Abbas Hazrat, Baloch, Captain Zeerak Khan Khalil, NLI, Captain Mubasher Hameed Kiani, Engrs, Captain Fahd Javed Khan, Punjab, Captain Toqir Ahmad, Baloch, Captain Rahat Mahmood, EME, Captain Zarrar Liaqat, Engrs, Captain Usman Bin Ali, AMC, Lieutenant Raja Yasir Sajjad, AC, Lieutenant Sami Ullah, Arty, Lieutenant Saad Tanvir, AC, Lieutenant Fahad Ali Khan, FF, Lieutenant Ali Hannan Baig, Sind, Lieutenant Waseem Ahmed, Baloch, 2nd Lieutenant (Now Lieutenant) Syed Khurram Khurshid, AK, Subedar Younis Khan, Punjab, Subedar Muhammad Nadir Khan, FC, Havildar Lal Baz, FC, Naik Muhammad Iqbal, SSG, Lance Naik (MT) Nasir Mehmood, ASC, Lance Naik Muzaffar Khan, FF, Lance Naik Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Engrs, Sepoy Akhtar Ayub, SSG and CIO Asad Mehmood.

CGS GREEN ENDORSEMENT

Following officers have been awarded CGS Green Endorsement:

Major Mehtab Khalique, Avn, Major Khawer Rasheed, Avn, Major Salahuddin, Major Muhammad Akhlaq, Avn, Major Muhammad Shahzad Ch, Avn, Major Khalid Rashid Maooz, T Bt, Avn, Major Abdul Majid, Avn, Major Assad Nawaz, Avn, Major Aamer Masood, Avn, Major Tariq Mahmood, Avn, Major Muhammad Asim Khan, Avn, Major Musa Raza, Avn, Major Kamran Younis, Avn and Major Asad Mansoor Khan.

The personnell of Pakistan Navy and Air Force are:

SITARA-I-BASALAT

Following officers and men have been awarded with Sitara-i-Basalat : Leading Petrol Man Amjad Atwar (Shaheed) from Pakistan Navy and CPL Tech Muhammad Hussain, (Shaheed) and Junior Tech Ihsan Ur Rehman (Shaheed) from Pakistan Air Forces.

TAMGHA-I-BASALAT

Following officers have been awarded Tamgha-i-Basalat:

Squadron Leader Saud Ghulam Nabi (Late) and Flight Lieutenant Shehryar Nisar (Late) from Pakistan Air Forces.

HILAL-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY)

Following officers have been awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Vice Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, SI(M), Vice Admiral Tanveer Fiaz, SI(M) from Pakistan Navy, Air Vice Marshal Tubrez Asif, SI(M) and Air Vice Marshal Aftab Hussain, SI(M) from Pakistan Air Force.

SITARA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY)

Following officers have been awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Commodore Abdul Aleem, Commodore Mukhtar Khan, Commodore Ather Mukhtar, Commodore Muhammad Aslam, Commodore Shahid Azmat Wain, Commodore Muhammad Ihsan Qadir, TI(M), Commodore Muhammad Fayyaz Gilani from Pakistan Navy, Air Commodore Saeed Muhammad Khan, S.Bt, Air Commodore Muhammad Iqbal, TI(M), Air Commodore Muhammad Saleem, TI(M), Group Captain Muhammad Zia Khan, Group Captain Zaheer Ahmad Babar, TI(M), Group Captain Khawaja Ahmad Amin Haider, Group Captain Mansoor Ahmed Khan, Group Captain Muhammad Amin, Group Captain Muhammad Farooq Shahid, Group Captain Sardar Ahmad, Group Captain Tariq Mohiuddin, Group Captain Ghulam Qadir Lodhi, Group Captain Ghulam Shabbir from Pakistan Air Force.

TAMGHA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY)

Following officers have been awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Commander Muhammad Sarfraz Khan, Commander Farrukh Nadeem, Commander, Muhammad Junaid, Commander Dr Muhammad Saeed Kahlid, Commander Noaman Imam, Commander Mujtaba Saeed, Lieutenant Commander Ijaz Ahmed, Lieutenant Commander Liaquat Ullah Khan, Lieutenant Commander Shahid Aslam Mirza, Lieutenant Commander Asif Maqsood from Pakistan Navy, Wing Commander Muhammad Qaiser Janjua, Wing Commander Rizwan Butt, Wing Commander Shahbzada Shah Jahan, Wing Commander Abdul Moeed Khan, Wing Commander Syed Fayyaz Ahmad, Wing Commander Syed Farhat Nadeem, Wing Commander Nadeem Khalid, Wing Commander Asif Maqsood, Wing Commander Aamir Hasan, Wing Commander Fawad Ejaz Ahmad Khan, Wing Commander Gohar Majeed Khan, Wing Commander Ch Iftikhar Ahmad.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan

Thrilling PAF High Mark exercise
March 23, 2010

PAF is in the midst of its High Mark exercise, the thrilling and biggest operational event to validate new concepts in the modern day warfare to defend the motherland. New inductions in the inventory including JF-17 Thunder aircraft, force multipliers Saab-2000 airborne early warning and control aircraft and air to air refueller aircraft are participating in the exercise to ensure efficient coordination and achieve stipulated objectives by exposing the PAF crew to simulated air battles based on contemporary concepts.

The all-important exercise has been tailored to include joint operations with extensive participation by Pakistan Army and Navy over the entire country from Skardu to the Arabian sea. It was essential to test the capability of the Airforce not only to guard the airspace of the country but also fully support the other two arms of the national defence particularly at a time when our enemy is on a massive buying spree to modernize its air force and only on Sunday test fired a new version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. There is no doubt that the primacy of air power is a decisive factor in shaping the outcome of any conflict. The PAF proved its professional skill and operational superiority during the 1965 war.

The High Mark exercise 2010, one is confident, would test PAF’s paramount mission in terms of defensive and offensive operations to be used to deny the numerically superior enemy Air Force. The new state-of-the-art inductions make it imperative that we train hard and prepare well to integrate the new systems professionally and safely. The achievements of PAF leave no doubt that it is immensely capable and, as a team, can set and achieve still higher standards.

The PAF on Sunday employed air to air refuelling skill successfully thus attaining another milestone to prove itself second to none. The airborne early warning system would give it added advantage to keep its Falcons in the air in advance and give a telling response to the enemy. Due to financial constraints, Pakistan cannot match the enemy in terms of numbers but our deterrence is through commitment, quality training, vision, planning capacities of the PAF leadership and qualitative upgrades and in these fields we are far superior.

While we urge the Government to ensure availability of much needed resources to the vital arm of the national defence, we are confident whatever the obstacles, the PAF will retain is deterrent value by virtue of the professionalism and motivation of its personnel. Whatever the challenges, the PAF will remain Pakistan’s shield.

Source: Pakistan Observer

Air Chief vows to fight internal, external threats
March 23, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Chief Of The Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has extended heartiest greetings to all the countrymen and women on the auspicious occasion of Pakistan Day, which is being celebrated today.

In his message, Qamar Suleman said the historic day evoked memories of a major event in the national history. “It was on this momentous day that the Muslims of subcontinent unanimously passed a resolution for an independent state, where they could live in accordance with the tenets of Islam. They launched an epic struggle for their cause under the inspiring leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and, despite bitter opposition, succeeded in transforming the dream of millions of Muslims into a reality in the shape of Pakistan.”

He said, “By the grace of Allah, Pakistan is an important Islamic state, with tremendous potential to grow and progress.”

Criticising the extremist elements, he said, “While Islam is a universal religion of peace, amity and tolerance, certain misguided elements with vested interests have been portraying it in negative colours, thereby damaging its pristine image.

He stressed the need to erase all kinds of misgivings against Islam through conduct and actions, and by making Pakistan an enlightened, forward-looking and tolerant Islamic state.

He assured the people that as proud sentinels of the aerial frontiers of the great country, the PAF personnel would not spare any effort in safeguarding and preserving the honour, integrity and sovereignty of the beloved country against any threat, be it internal or external.

“On this august day, the PAF reaffirms its pledge to the nation that Pakistan Air Force will accomplish the assigned mission with extreme dedication and perseverance,” he added.

Source: The Nation

14 more F-16s approved from US: Air Chief
March 27, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said a contingency plan was ready to counter any threat to the country’s security and made it clear that any misadventure by the adversary would invite a ‘massive reaction’.

Speaking at a briefing here at Air Headquarters, he said Pakistan did not harbour aggressive designs against any country, but was capable of beating back any aggressor.

He said Pakistan believed in peace with honour and observed that peace cannot be maintained from a position of weakness.

In reply to a question about the threats of surgical strikes inside Pakistan by India in case of another Mumbai-like terror attack, the PAF chief said “the neighbours know that in case of a sneak attack by them, reaction will be coming within hours”.

He said India would not be able to penetrate deep inside Pakistan’s territory, and the most they would do in such a case would be to choose an area near the border for a hit-and-run operation.

He said when the President House received a hoax call from ‘the Indian foreign minister’ after the Mumbai episode, the Pakistan Air Force identified certain targets across the border.

ACM Rao Qamar Suleman said permission from the government for replying to any aggression had been obtained and preparations made for a matching response.

He said India would not be able to defeat Pakistan in a conventional war.

He said the High Mark 2010 was not aimed against any country, but aimed at evaluating capabilities in an environment where dimensions of threat were changing warranting new concepts. He said the exercise was different in nature from the previous ones because the other two services were also actively taking part in it.

He noted that a future war would be swift and intense and said that is why the high tempo operation with a component of time sensitive targeting was being undertaken.

He said the budget for the exercise had been managed by savings as a result of 20 per cent reduction in flying from June, without asking for additional funds for the mega event from the Government.

Responding to question, he indicated that there was no plan to set up an air base in Azad Kashmir saying that the base in Skardu was sufficient to meet operational requirements of the PAF.

The Air Chief said Pakistan would start receiving 18 F-16 planes paid for it years back from June and the process would be completed by December. He disclosed that the United States had agreed to provide another 14 block 52 F-16s to Pakistan shortly. He said the existing fleet of F-16s would be upgraded in Turkey from September. He said all the F-16s would be upgraded to block 52 by 2014.

He said he said he never wanted a deal with the US for purchase of drones since it would be very expensive, but said it would be welcomed if sensors were provided by the US. He said Pakistan develops its own surveillance drones and would invest in research and development to make its own armed drones if a need was felt.

Earlier Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans) Air Commodore Javed Ahmad briefing reporters on the concept of High Mark 2010 said the primary target was to put to test the high state of combat readiness while gearing up all supporting units and validate the lessons learnt to improve deployment tactics.

He said since international, and domestic situation impinges upon the security calculus, the near realistic exercise was in line with the transformation in PAF’s concept of operations. He said new acquisitions had been operationalised in minimum possible time to take part in the exercise that will continue till the mid of May.

PAF ready to thwart Indian designs: Air Chief
March 27, 2010

Pakistan Air Force to get 14 more sophisticated F-16s

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made it emphatically clear that it is fully capable of responding to the so-called Indian ‘Cold Start Doctrine’ befittingly.

If the Indians opt to drop a few bombs close to the areas with the borders, the response would be even harsher and forthcoming in no time. The Indian doctrine is ridiculous. “Pakistan has put all the required preparations in place to meet any eventuality. The aggressor could not even think of what the reply would be from Pakistan. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has kept its assets for thwarting conventional threats from the force devoted to deal with the terrorists.”

The announcement came from Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman at the Air Headquarters here on Saturday while replying to queries of newsmen during his briefing pertaining to the ongoing air exercise, High Mark-2010.

The air chief, in his about two-hour-long formal and informal briefing, told the media that preparedness and maintaining potential to frustrate any aggression was the right of every country that wished to live with dignity and honour.

The air chief, who was in high spirits and replied a volley of questions about the external threats from air, said any surgical strike by India would not go unanswered as the reaction time for both the countries in an air action was so short that in peace times, such activities could not be checked in a definite manner.

The air chief, who took part in the exercise by flying a French-made Mirage plane, would be flying the multi-role most sophisticated US-made F-16 in a day or two while taking part in ‘operation’.

He told the media that the US had agreed to provide another 14 F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan. These block-52 planes would be apart from the other 18 planes of the same calibre that would start reaching Pakistan from July this year and supply of the batch would be completed in December next. The planes will be equipped with the video and voice recorder (VVR) system rarely provided by the US to other countries, which is a high-resolution cockpit system that places a record of the HUD video, head-down displays, pilot voice and digital data bus information on a TEAC recorder.

With this, the number of the F-16 planes, being received from the US till the end of the year, would reach 30, besides the upgrading of the existing planes, acquired in the 1980s. He said the PAF was capable of thwarting both the conventional and unconventional threats from the enemy. He said Pakistan’s missile system was in the best shape and “our all the systems are well tested.”

The air chief said the PAF was focusing on its preparedness and taking stock of its preparations according to the modern trends. The area of the ongoing exercise is covering the entire country, from Skardu in the north to the Arabian Sea in the south. It included joint cooperation, with an extensive participation from the Army and the Navy, which would further enhance the joint operations, integration and cooperation amongst the three services.

The High Mark-2010 is aimed at conducting an operation in the near-realistic tactical environment while integrating the new inductions and providing a role-oriented training to combat and support elements of the PAF. The exercise is designed to achieve stipulated objectives, with a special emphasis on exposing the PAF combat crew to stimulated air battles, based on contemporary concepts. The air chief said all the main operating bases and forward operating bases were participating in the exercise.

New inductions like the JF-17 Thunder aircraft, jointly manufactured by Pakistan and China, force multipliers such as Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and air-to-air refueler aircraft are participating in the exercise for the first time. The exercise in question is the PAF’s biggest operational event, which is being conducted after five years.

The air chief said the ever-changing geo-political environment in the region demanded a change in the employment concepts and doctrine in the application of air power, with an emphasis on joint operations. The exercise High Mark-2010 would provide the PAF an opportunity to validate these concepts, which are vital for the overall defence of the motherland, he said.

Answering a question, Rao Qamar Suleman said Pakistan was cognisant of the Indian designs and war preparedness, as it was acquiring the weapon system from all over the world. The air chief said the PAF had developed its own drones and they were being manufactured in the Kamra facility.

Pakistan is not interested in buying the US drones, but it is keen to purchase sensors for its own drones. The US has not provided its drone technology to any country of the world, except Italy, where they are also operated by the US technicians.

The air chief parried a query about the flight base of the US drones, targeting the tribal areas, and said the Americans returned the control of Shahbaz and Pasni bases back in 2002. No PAF base is in the control of the US forces, he maintained.

He expressed his ignorance over the control of the Shamsi base and said it was neither being used by the PAF, nor the Pakistan Army. The base does not belong to the PAF. “I don’t know about the control of the Shamsi base,” he said while replying to a question about its control and its use by the Americans for the flight of drones.

The newsmen were also shown the most modern central security system in place, linked to all the facilities. It is controlled and monitored at a central base on a round-the-clock basis. The PAF has also acquired the US-made road scanners, which could easily detect any bypassing vehicle with weapons or ammunition. The system is working well and efficiently, as the security threat perception has increased for the PAF installations in the wake of use of air power against the militants in the areas adjoined to the border with Afghanistan.

Source: The News

Pakistan negotiating 14 more F-16 jets from US
March 27, 2010

By Lieven Dewitte

Pakistan has been negotiating to get another lot of 14 F-16 block 52 aircraft, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said.

Briefing the media at Air Headquarters, Suleman said he was hoping to get 14 F-16 jets in addition to the 18 the U.S. already committed to.

According to the Air Chief, the 18 'Peace Drive I' aircrafts will come to Pakistan in batches of four or so, while 42 earlier bought F-16 are being upgraded in Turkey, a project which should be completed by 2014.

Early 2010, the United States approved the delivery of 12 Lockheed Martin F-16C and 6 F-16D planes, scheduled to begin from June 2010.

In 1990, the U.S. halted the production of a third and fourth batch of F-16s ordered by Pakistan, due to it's nuclear weapons program. 40 F-16A/B aircraft had been delivered under the Peace Gate I and II programs, however none of the Peace Gate III and IV aircraft were delivered.

However, in 2005, Pakistan, received clearance to go ahead with an order for additional F-16s, which was considered to be a reward to General Pervez Musharraf's support for the war on terror.

This delivery to Pakistan will bring its inventory of the planes to 54. If a new deal is approved, Pakistan's arsenal of F-16s, including refurbished fighters, will amount to 79, defense officials said. Pakistan has been operating F-16s since 1982.




Pakistan plans to buy 14 more F-16 jets from US
March 27, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is negotiating with the United States to buy 14 additional F-16 fighter planes, Pakistan defence officials said on Sunday, following talks aimed at reversing tempestuous ties between the allies.

The United States and Pakistan have agreed to fast-track pending Pakistani requests for military equipment as the two step up security cooperation, Pakistan's foreign minister said on Wednesday during a high-profile visit to Washington.

A senior Pakistani defence official told Reuters that Pakistan was asking for 14 new F-16 planes.

“Talks are underway and we're hoping to get them at a low price,” the official, who requested not to be identified, said.

Pakistan is an important US ally in the battle against al Qaeda and the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The United States has provided F-16 fighter jets to Islamabad and Pakistan's navy chief was in Washington this month to discuss the handover in August of a refurbished US frigate.

Washington said this month it would deliver 1,000 laser-guided bomb kits to Pakistan within weeks and is considering more weapons sales to help the Pakistani air force crack down on insurgents in the Afghanistan border region.

In early 2010, the United States approved the delivery of 12 Lockheed Martin Corp's F-16C and 6 F-16D planes, scheduled to begin from June 2010.

This delivery to Pakistan will bring its inventory of the planes to 54. If a new deal is approved, Pakistan's arsenal of F-16s, including refurbished fighters, will amount to 79, defence officials said. Pakistan has been operating F-16s since 1982.

Another official said Pakistan's interest in new F-16s was a bid to match India's firepower.

“Look at the rival (India). How many fighter jets they are purchasing and if you're getting them at a low price then why not?” he said.

India plans to buy 126 air and ground attack fighters, which will elevate its air force to super-power status, with deployments planned near the borders with Pakistan and China, officials say.

One bone of contention between Washington and Islamabad has been a delay in about $2 billion in military aid owed by the United States to Pakistan under a programme called the Coalition Support Fund.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said a “substantial” amount of the money would be paid by the end of April, with Washington promising the remainder by the end of June.

Source: Dawn News




Pakistan to get 14 more F-16s from US: ACM Rao Qamar Suleman
March 27, 2010

ISLAMABAD: After delivery of 18 already paid F-16 aircrafts in middle of June this year, Pakistan would get another batch of 14 of 5th generation warplanes free of cost as a gift from the United States of America.

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman told this to journalists while answering questions after a detailed briefing about ongoing Pakistan Air Force exercises called as High Mark 2010.

According to the Air Chief, the 18 aircrafts would come to Pakistan in batches of four or so, while earlier bought F-16 are being upgraded in Turkey by US.

Answering questions about future wars, and notion of cold start aired by Indian army chief recently, he said, “Future wars would be swift and intense. These changing threat perceptions and new notions have forced the PAF to transform from traditional enemy-specific force. Now we are fully capable of responding both internal as well as external threats.”

“These exercises are meant for maintaining peace and enhancing preparedness of the force and would continue till May 10,” he said and added, “PAF has no aggressive designs against any nation or country and sole purpose of these exercises is to ensure country’s defence and sovereignty.”

Earlier, it was informed during the briefing that soon after ‘High Mark 2010’, the PAF F-16 jets would be flying over Atlantic Ocean to participate in joint exercises named ‘Red and Green Flag’ with US air force.

To a question about the threat of surgical strikes by India, he made it clear that in case of such adventurism the PAF had capability to give befitting response within hours, if not, minutes.

Source: The Nation

18 F-16s with BVR missile system to start joining PAF by June: Air Chief
March 27, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said PAF would start getting the lot of 18 latest version of F-16 fighting falcon aircraft fitted with Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile system by June this year.

Briefing newsmen on the on-going High Mark-2010 Exercise by PAF in collusion with Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy, the Chief of Air Staff said the delivery of aircraft to Pakistan would complete by the end of current year.

He, however, did not disclose the number of BVR systems being acquired from the US, but said in addition to 18 F-16s, Pakistan has also been negotiating to get another lot of 14 aircraft of same version, besides getting other modern gadgets and weapons.

“Our wish-list is unending, but we are heading with the realistic approach,” he said when was asked about the PAF’s wish-list from the US.

He said the indigenously developed aircraft with the help of friendly country China JF-17 Thunder has been producing much better results than expectations, especially its weapon system.

He told another questioner that the existing lot of F-16s in the PAF inventory would be upgraded to the level of Block 52 series in Turkey and the project would be completed by 2014.

Highlighting the importance of High Mark-2010, he said significance of the exercise could be gauged from the fact that the air force had been engaging all its assets, especially those recently inducted in its inventory like, Early Air Warning and Control System, JF-17 Thunder and Air to Air refueller.

Besides, he said Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy have also been taking part in wholesome manner in the exercise which has been tailored to carry out joint and solo operations in accordance with the need that may occur.

He said the exercise is being carried out in the near to real situation with the aim to give mastery to the fighter pilots on avoiding collateral damage as in the past maximum efforts were made to avoid civilian casualties during the anti-terrorist operations.

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said this joint exercise not only focusses on to deal with the threat from the traditional rival, but also from the potential unconventional enemy.

When his attention was drawn towards the Indian doctrine of carrying out surgical strikes in the wake of Mumbai attacks, the PAF chief said the air force had immediately developed strategy to counter the threat which barred the adversary to opt for any extreme option.

“Our response time during such situations is from 2 to 6 minutes from the ground,” he responded in a firm manner. He said knowing the capability of PAF the adversary did not dare to take any step.

He said PAF has been keeping a watchful eye to safeguard the frontiers of the country and effective systems are already in place to meet with any situation.

In reply to a question, he said PAF had already been using Unarmed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology for reconnaissance purposes while it hardly needs to go for armed aerial vehicle.

He said the Exercise High Mark is being carried out from the existing financial resources available with the PAF as no additional allocations have been sought from the government for the purpose.

Answering another question, he said the coalition forces hardly commit any violation of Pakistan’s air while Pakistan had always strongly protested in case of any airspace violation by the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
He said that Pakistan and India back in 1991 had reached a mutual agreement not to enter in air space from 10 km of the border with the aim to avoid any violations.

He said there was no threat from the western border while a sizeable number of aircraft are continuously guarding the eastern border, which are not a part of the exercise High Mark 2010.

Detailed briefings were also given to the senior media-persons who were especially invited by the Air Chief to impart first hand information on the exercise, which has been entering its most important phase of fire power show.

In the next phase which would be the culminating part of the exercise, contingents from Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy would also participate.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan

Pakistan to get four F-16s by June end
March 29, 2010

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would receive four of the first 18 F-16 fighter jets from the US in June, senior Pakistani and American have officials said.

The fighter jets are part of the 2.9 billion dollars arms package, which includes electronics and weapons upgrades for 34 existing Pakistani F-16s.

Bruce Lemkin, Deputy Under Secretary in the Pentagon for the Air Force, said the Air Force is also reviewing Pakistan's request to loan or lease excess or decommissioned U.S. F-16s for ground operations before newer ones are delivered.

A US military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 17 of the 18 combat aircrafts would be delivered to Islamabad by December.

Pakistani fighter pilots are already receiving training in the US on the new F-16s, so that they can put the aircraft to optimum use once they are delivered, The Business week reports.

US Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jeffry Glenn said 1,000 kits for converting unguided weapons into laser-guided bombs, the first ever sent to Pakistan, have been sent to Pakistan earlier this month, and it could take as many as 30 days to arrive.

The bombs can be dropped from Pakistan's existing older F- 16s, Glenn said in an e-mail.

It may be noted that in 1990, the U.S. halted the production of a third and fourth batch of F-16s ordered by Pakistan, due to its nuclear weapons program. 40 F-16A/B aircraft had been delivered under the Peace Gate I and II programs, however none of the Peace Gate III and IV aircraft were delivered.

However, in 2005 Islamabad finally received the go-ahead to order 24 additional F-16s, which was believed to an explicit reward for General Pervez Musharraf's support in the 'war on terror.'

Source: ANI

US to ship unarmed drones to Pakistan: Pentagon
March 29, 2010

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon hopes "within a year" to deliver around a dozen unarmed drone aircraft to Pakistan to aid its fight against Islamic extremism, a US senior military official said.

"I would like to think that we would get them there within a year, but quantity and so forth, I think, will depend on what are the right ones, and how many make sense for the fight that they're in," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official told reporters that while the United States is looking at sending about a dozen aircraft to Islamabad, the actual number of drone aircraft "could be more or less, depending on the need."

"What we are trying to do is get with them to be able to articulate the requirements of what they need," the official said.

Efforts are underway by US officials to "match the right equipment to the requirements. That's what we are trying to work them through."

Pakistan previously has also urged Washington to outfit its military with armed aerial vehicles like the Predator and Reaper.

US drone missile strikes against Al-Qaeda and Taliban figures in Pakistan have fueled anti-American sentiment because of civilian casualties, and drawn public condemnation from the government in Islamabad.

The United States has carried out nearly 100 attacks with unmanned drones in Pakistan since August 2008, killing more than 830 people. Figures range widely on how many civilians have been killed.

The unnamed official said Washington could supply around a dozen smaller, unarmed Shadow drones to Islamabad, to help with their surveillance and reconnaissance activities.

"We looked at Shadows, we looked at ScanEagles," among other drones, the official said. "Shadow drones may in fact be the right platform at the end of the day."

Shadow drones -- smaller than the armed Predator and Reaper aircraft -- are about 11 feet (three meters) long and have a wing-span of 14-feet (4.3 meters) with sensors and cameras feeding video images back to operators on the ground.

Pakistan's military already has some drones of its own production which it uses for surveillance, but which are less sophisticated than those manufactured by the United States.

Last week, Pakistan's foreign minister said the United States would improve its public standing if it let Islamabad spearhead armed drone attacks.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in Washington for high-level talks, acknowledged in a CNN interview that drone attacks by US forces against Islamic extremists on Pakistani soil have "taken out some valuable targets."

But he said: "The issue of sovereignty is there. People of Pakistan feel strongly about it.

"We want the ownership. We make the decision when to operate," he said. "It will help improve the feelings in Pakistan," he said.

Drones May Ship to Pakistan 'Within a Year'
March 29, 2010

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon hopes "within a year" to deliver around a dozen unarmed drone aircraft to Pakistan to aid its fight against Islamic extremism, a U.S. senior military official said.

"I would like to think that we would get them there within a year, but quantity and so forth, I think, will depend on what are the right ones, and how many make sense for the fight that they're in," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official told reporters that while the United States is looking at sending about a dozen aircraft to Islamabad, the actual number of drone aircraft "could be more or less, depending on the need."

"What we are trying to do is get with them to be able to articulate the requirements of what they need," the official said.

Efforts are underway by U.S. officials to "match the right equipment to the requirements. That's what we are trying to work them through."

Pakistan previously has also urged Washington to outfit its military with armed aerial vehicles like the Predator and Reaper.

U.S. drone missile strikes against Al-Qaeda and Taliban figures in Pakistan have fueled anti-American sentiment because of civilian casualties, and drawn public condemnation from the government in Islamabad.

The United States has carried out nearly 100 attacks with unmanned drones in Pakistan since August 2008, killing more than 830 people. Figures range widely on how many civilians have been killed.

The unnamed official said Washington could supply around a dozen smaller, unarmed Shadow drones to Islamabad, to help with their surveillance and reconnaissance activities.

"We looked at Shadows, we looked at ScanEagles," among other drones, the official said. "Shadow drones may in fact be the right platform at the end of the day."

Shadow drones - smaller than the armed Predator and Reaper aircraft - are about 11 feet (three meters) long and have a wing-span of 14-feet (4.3 meters) with sensors and cameras feeding video images back to operators on the ground.

Pakistan's military already has some drones of its own production which it uses for surveillance, but which are less sophisticated than those manufactured by the United States.

Last week, Pakistan's foreign minister said the United States would improve its public standing if it let Islamabad spearhead armed drone attacks.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in Washington for high-level talks, acknowledged in a CNN interview that drone attacks by U.S. forces against Islamic extremists on Pakistani soil have "taken out some valuable targets."

But he said: "The issue of sovereignty is there. People of Pakistan feel strongly about it.

"We want the ownership. We make the decision when to operate," he said. "It will help improve the feelings in Pakistan," he said.

Source: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

US hopes to give Pakistan drones within a year
March 29, 2010

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon aims to deliver a fleet of surveillance drones to Pakistan within a year, but weaponized versions of the unmanned aircraft are still off-limits, a US military official said on Monday.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced plans in January to provide Islamabad with what aides said at the time were 12 Shadow drones, aiming to boost its ability to track insurgents, reports Reuters.

But a senior US military official, briefing reporters at the Pentagon on the condition of anonymity, said Islamabad was still weighing whether Shadow drones were the model of unmanned aircraft best suited to its needs.

“We looked at Shadows. We looked at Scan Eagles and other tactical UAVs that are out and about and what we want to do is try to find out which model is best,” the official said, referring to drones as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs.

Shadows are manufactured by AAI Corporation, a unit of Textron Systems, while Scan Eagles are manufactured by Boeing Co.

Islamabad has also pressed for weaponized drones, like the ones the CIA is covertly using in Pakistan to track and kill Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents.

The official, asked about that request, said general US policy was not to export weaponized capabilities of any drone aircraft. Washington has been reluctant to share sensitive technology so far.

The number of surveillance drones that the United States would eventually provide to Pakistan depends on the cost of the model selected, the official said.

“A key factor will be how quickly we can get the capabilities to them,” the official said.

Pressed on timing, the official said: “I would like to think that we would get them there within a year.”

Pakistan is already using some non-US, imported drone technology and has modified a C-130 military transport aircraft to allow some surveillance activities, the official said.

Drones have proven to be a crucial technological advantage for the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq, allowing it to remotely track militants and giving commanders battleground imagery in real time.

Gates told a Senate hearing last week it was in the US interest to try to help close allies get drone technology, despite limitations on exports imposed by an international pact, known as the Missile Technology Control Regime.

The MTCR is a pact among at least 34 countries aimed at curbing the spread of unmanned delivery systems that could be used for weapons of mass destruction.

Source: Dawn News