Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 30

It was a proud moment for Shemrock Senior Secondary School, Sector 69, as its 35 students cleared the written National Defence Academy (NDA) exam.

The Director, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (MRSAFPI), Major General H Chauhan (VSM), said since the first batch passed out in 2013, the school had managed to get 217 cadets inducted into the NDA and various other military and naval academies. Of these cadets, 141 had already been commissioned as officers till June 2023, he said.

Chauhan while congratulating the students said the institute trained boys of Punjab to join defence forces by observing. He said the number of individuals joining defence forces from Punjab had been dwindling year by year.

School chairman AS Bajwa said the school and institute partnership applauds the efforts of 35 cadets out of 46, who cleared the written NDA exam. An unprecedented pass percentage of 76.08 per cent spoke volumes of the unparalleled partnership, he said.

The list of weapon systems and platforms includes the 180 Light Combat Aircraft TEJAS Mk-1A, 156 Light Combat Helicopters, Light Utility Choppers and many other weapon systems which are supposed to form a large chunk of the service in coming times
The Indian Air Force is taking up some of the biggest indigenisation projects in defence sector as the force led by Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari is working on ‘Make in India’ programs worth over Rs 3.15 lakh crore.
The list of weapon systems and platforms includes the 180 TEJAS MK-1A, 156 Light Combat Helicopters, Light Utility Choppers and many other weapon systems which are supposed to form a large chunk of the service in coming times. The TEJAS MK-1A alone is supposed to be worth over Rs 1.2 lakh crore and is going to create a huge impact on developing a fighter aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in the domestic industry, senior defence officials told ANI.
The officials said the support towards building a major defence industry is key towards achieving a USD 5 trillion economy as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Defence officials said as the ‘Aatmanirbharta’ programme of the defence forces takes wings, the agenda of the acquisition-related meetings is fast becoming ‘Indian in the true sense.
Giving details of the indigenous made-in-India projects, the officials said that the Air Force is getting 180 TEJAS MK-1A aircraft for which the first contract of 83 aircraft has already been signed while the project for the remaining 97 aircraft is set to get the Defence Ministry clearance soon. In the fighter aircraft domain, the Indian Air Force is taking up a major programme to upgrade the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet fleet under a Rs 65,000 crore project.
The project would be carried out indigenously by a joint team of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the Indian Air Force with indigenous radars, avionics and weapons to be equipped on the plane. The project is being moved to the Defence Ministry and is expected to be discussed at a high level very soon.
The upgrade program would be carried out first with around 90 aircraft and would then be implemented on the remaining 160 plus aircraft gradually making them very close to fifth-generation capabilities in them. After addressing the development of the Airborne Early and Control Aircraft requirements through couple of indigenous plans, the Indian Air Force is also working on developing a spy plane that would be able to pick up entire enemy activity.
The Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft can equip the IAF with a potent instrument for gaining battlefield transparency and situational awareness. In terms of rotary wing capabilities, the Indian Air Force is going to get a big boost in terms of firepower and going to give a similar push to the domestic industry.
The IAF is the lead agency for acquiring 156 light combat helicopters for which the services are looking at spending around Rs 45,000 crore. The Indian Air Force would also be supporting the indigenous Light Utility Helicopter to replace the Cheetah/Chetak chopper fleet from the Air Force and the Army.
The Indian Air Force would also be supporting the ambitious Indian Multirole Helicopter programme being undertaken by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The Defence Ministry recently cleared the Project Kusha of the Indian Air Force under which it is going to get five units of the Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR-SAM) which would be similar to the capabilities of the Russian-origin S-400 air defence missile systems, three squadrons of which have already been inducted in the service.
The Project Kusha has been given approval for worth around Rs 21,700 crores and would be carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) jointly with private and public sector industry. The Medium Range-Surface to Air Missile project has already been completed and a few missiles have already been inducted into the service. The project is worth Rs 14,500 crore.
The Indian Air Force is also awaiting final clearance for its over Rs 7500 core project for Close in Weapon Systems for protecting its critical assets and is being built by the private sector industry for it. The DRDO is also working to produce the ‘Pralay’ ballistic missiles which are going to be used by the IAF for use in conventional roles and warheads.
The Air Force has also inducted the C-295 transport aircraft which would be the first private sector joint venture to have been created for manufacturing transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The project would see a cash outgo of over Rs 22,000 crores which would see 40 plus aircraft getting manufactured within the country.
The Indian Air Force is also going to get the basic trainer aircraft in the HTT-40 being built by the HAL at a cost of Rs 6,100 crores.

New Delhi, October 1

India needs stronger armed forces with modern equipment to become a developed nation by 2047, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday while underlining the need for effective utilisation of financial resources by the three services.

Singh made the remarks after launching several digital initiatives of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) during its 276th annual day celebrations at Delhi Cantonment.

Describing the DAD as the “guardian of defence finance”, he emphasised the need to bolster the internal vigilance mechanism so that any suspicious activity can be detected and reviewed immediately. This, he said, will not only help in dealing with the problem quickly but also increase the trust of the people in the department. “If we wish to

create a developed nation, we will need stronger armed forces with modern arms and equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively utilise the financial resources available to us,” Singh said.

“There should be a fine balance between the demands of services and the allocation of available resources,” he said.

Singh also suggested to the DAD for the creation of an in-house standing committee that can research and study market forces and provide high-quality market intelligence to field officers. During his address, Singh appreciated the organisation for its efforts towards enhancing the country’s defence capabilities through a transparent and efficient financial system.

Terming accounting as extremely important for an individual, organisation and the nation as a whole, he said, “Our wants are unlimited, but the available resources are limited.” He commended the DAD for ensuring judicious use of resources while extracting optimum output.

The digital initiatives launched included an integrated defence finance dashboard for the Ministry of Defence — SARANSH (Summary of Accounts, Budget and Expenditure for Raksha Mantralaya) and BISWAS (Bill Information and Work Analysis System and e-Raksha Awaas). — PTI

Use resources effectively

If we wish to create a developed nation, we will need stronger armed forces with modern arms and equipment. It is necessary to effectively utilise the financial resources available to us. Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

In May 2022, the Defence Ministry signed a contract with BDL for the supply of Astra MK-I missiles and associated equipment for the IAF and the Navy at a cost of ₹2,971 crore
Astra, an indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, being test-fired by TEJAS Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) LSP-7, in Bangalore
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has placed two contracts with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile and the first batch is expected to be inducted by the end of 2023, according to defence sources. Development is underway on the more advanced and longer-range Astra-Mk2, a defence source said and static firing has been conducted.
BDL has already received Bulk Production Clearance for the manufacture of the Astra-MK1 missiles from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), a defence source said adding that this financial year, IAF will complete proof firing and induction.
Astra is fully integrated on the Su-30MKI and in August it was successfully test-fired from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) TEJAS off the coast of Goa during which the missile was released from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20,000 ft.
The IAF plans to arm its frontline fighters with the Astra MK-1 and officials have said that the Astra MK-2 would become the mainstay of the IAF’s BVR missile arsenal, reducing import dependency.
In May 2022, the Defence Ministry signed a contract with BDL for the supply of Astra MK-I missiles and associated equipment for the IAF and the Navy at a cost of ₹2,971 crore. As reported by The Hindu earlier, the IAF has expressed satisfaction with the Astra’s performance and officials have stated that they were looking for over 200 Mk-1 missiles initially.
Astra is a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile with a range of over 100 km designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvrable supersonic aerial targets. It is designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and other DRDO laboratories.

US Army General Mark Alexander Milley, the 20th Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, will ‘hang up his uniform’ on 30 September after an illustrious, albeit controversial, career spanning 43 years. His military career was blemished by the chaotic withdrawal of the US Army from Afghanistan in 2021, which happened against his advice. However, he cut a niche for himself as the upholder of the constitution, military values, and ethics during the first 16 months of his tenure under former President Donald Trump, who had a marked tendency to flout the same.

Like India, the US has a much longer unbroken record of the supremacy of the civil government over the military since its independence. The armed forces uphold the constitution, but are accountable to the nation under the control of the elected president and the legislature—a relationship maintained by robust institutions. The military gives considered advice and the government makes the decisions. So long as the government’s command is lawful, the armed forces are duty-bound to obey. However, under Trump, this relationship came under tremendous strain. In India, too, this relationship is straying away from the well-established norms due to political exploitation of the military by the Narendra Modi government.

Trump’s tumultuous relationship with the military, wherein he demanded personal and political loyalty by flouting the constitution, and Milley’s steadfastness to uphold it, has been recorded in a series of articles in US media. Notable among these is the long article in The Atlantic titled ‘The Patriot’, written by the publication’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. Earlier, this was covered in detail in the book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker.

Constitutional vs political loyalty

Like all strong right-wing leaders, Trump had a fascination with the military. He flooded his administration with retired generals and referred to the serving ones as “my generals.” He expected the military to be an extension of his politics and demanded unquestioned obedience and loyalty in the mould of Hitler and his generals. His fascist tendencies were also evident in his penchant for military spectacles.

Much to his chagrin, Trump discovered that the values of the US military were enshrined in the constitution. Soon, his relationship with the generals soured, most of whom were summarily sacked. After initial dithering, the serving generals led by Milley carried out a course correction by upholding the constitution,and refused to be part of Trump’s political machinations.

General on a white horse

Milley was the chosen one, personally selected by Trump overriding the advice of his secretary of defence, former General James Mattis. Apart from his outstanding track record, what endeared Milley to Trump were his never-ending one-liners during earlier meetings as the Chief of the Army Staff—“Mr President, our Army is here to serve you. Because you’re the Commander-in-Chief.” During the selection interview, after some plain speaking, he had said, “Mr President, you’re going to be making the decisions. All I can guarantee from me is I’m going to give you an honest answer…And you’re going to make the decisions, and as long as they’re legal, I’ll support it.” Trump, in all likelihood, missed the caveat—“as long as they’re legal”. Legality here implies that the orders of the civilian authority have to be as per the constitution and Acts of Congress.

After taking over as the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff on 1 October 2019, Milley was quick to note Trump’s erratic conduct. At his welcome ceremony, Trump made insensitive comments about the presence of war-wounded and disabled army Captain Luis Avila, who had been called to sing “God Bless America”. Within a month, Trump pardoned three soldiers guilty of serious human rights violations against Milley’s advice and later boasted, “I stuck up for three great warriors against the deep state.” Milley was desperately trying to come to terms with impulsive and whimsical conduct of the President, but kept his own consul and never said anything in public.

The first day of June 2020 marked a turning point. In the morning, Milley strongly resisted Trump’s demand to deploy active army troops against ‘Black Lives Matter’ protesters near the White House and advised that the National Guards were adequate. Milley was aghast when Trump shouted at him, “You are all fu…ng losers! Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” The same day, Milley was duped into joining the entourage accompanying Trump across Lafayette Square in Washington DC for a photo shoot outside the St John’s Church damaged by the protestors. It was too late before the realisation dawned on him; later, he quietly slipped away.

Under severe criticism, Milley drafted his resignation on four counts—politicisation of the military, use of the military to create fear, discrimination against minorities, and ruining the established international order. However, after introspection, he decided to fight from within. On 10 June 2020, he publicly apologised for the photo op with Trump. “I should not have been there. My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics,” Milley said.

With presidential elections looming large and Trump’s prediction of rigged elections, Milley drew up a plan, a guide on how to get through the next few months. Prevent Trump from starting an unnecessary war overseas. Ensure that the military was not used in the streets against the American people for the purpose of keeping Trump in power. Maintain the military’s and his own integrity. He also took his fellow chiefs into confidence and asserted that the military would play no part in Trump’s attempts to illegally remain in office.

In the weeks before the election, Milley spoke to allies and adversaries alike to quell rumours about the political stability of the United States. He was moving like a dervish. On 30 October, in probably his most controversial decision, he spoke to his Chinese counterpart, former General Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army, after receiving intelligence that China believed Trump was going to order an attack. “General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay. We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.” Milley later told the Senate Armed Services Committee that this call, and another one two days after the 6 January attack on the United States Capitol, represented an attempt to “deconflict military actions, manage crisis, and prevent war between great powers that are armed with the world’s most deadliest weapons.”

On 10 November, seven days after the election, he said in his Veteran’s Day speech that the motto of the United States Army for over 200 years, since 14 June 1775, has been to defend the constitution. “We are unique among armies, we are unique among militaries. We do not take an oath to a king or queen, or tyrant or dictator, we do not take an oath to an individual. No, we do not take an oath to a country, a tribe or a religion. We take an oath to the Constitution, and …… every sailor, airman, marine, coastguard each of us protects and defends that document, regardless of personal price.” His statement was a veiled message for Trump to forestall him from ‘using’ the military in any form while challenging the electoral verdict.

Six days after the violent attack on 6 January, the eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff set all rumours at rest. In an unprecedented move, they signed a short memorandum for the armed forces. In brief, the memo stated, “We witnessed actions inside the Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law…Any act to disrupt the Constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values, and oath; it is against the law. On January 20, 2021, in accordance with the Constitution, confirmed by the states and the courts, and certified by Congress, President-elect Biden will be inaugurated and will become our 46th Commander in Chief. President-elect Joe Biden will be their next commander in chief.” Rest is history.

Also read: Army can’t ask soldiers to do social work on leave. It’s beyond the ‘call of duty’

Role model for militaries

Milley will ‘fade away’ but he has left behind a legacy worthy of emulation. He has given the entire world a lesson on the military’s loyalty to the constitution while remaining under civil government control. Not once did he publicly criticise his president or disregard any order. He was able to temper the president’s impulsive and whimsical conduct with firm advice and a straight spine.

The relationship between constitutional loyalty and civil control is not formally studied by most armies. Indian military too has no intellectual understanding of the same. Hence, the default norm is to adhere to political directions treating them like military orders without questioning their constitutional propriety. The only other reason is, weakness of character in generals. Woe betides the nation that is saddled with a military hierarchy suffering from both maladies.

Lt Gen H S Panag PVSM, AVSM (R) served in the Indian Army for 40 years. He was GOC in C Northern Command and Central Command. Post retirement, he was Member of Armed Forces Tribunal. Views are personal.

China tends to see India as a regional rival that is an obstacle to its expansionism and has stood firm against it.

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Gen Deepak Kapoor (retd)

Former Chief of Army Staff

CONSIDERING that the growth and development stories of the two neighbours started almost simultaneously, with India’s Independence in 1947 and the onset of communist rule in China in 1949, the divergence between them has grown despite similar problems during the past 70-odd years. It is expected that this gap will continue to widen in the foreseeable future. Therefore, there is a need to analyse the reasons for this divergence and explore effective strategies for addressing the challenges posed by China.

At the end of World War II, despite discussions about granting India a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, it was India that advocated for China’s claim to a permanent seat. Recognition of Tibet as part of China marked the second instance of India’s efforts to foster a close relationship with China. The third step was to acknowledge Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy regarding Taiwan. However, while India was busy expounding the virtues of ‘Hindi Chini bhai bhai’ policy and furthering the Panchsheel agenda, clandestine Chinese preparations for an incursion into India persisted without interruption. Thus, 1962 saw a humiliating defeat of the Indian military. After the war, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) vacated most of the captured areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), except the Aksai Chin area of Ladakh.

Subsequently, an uneasy calm prevailed along the LAC, though attempts at salami-slicing by the PLA never stopped. The year 1967 saw a confrontation at Nathu La, in which the Indians, by now wise to the Chinese designs, gave the adversary a bloody nose. This treatment was repeated in 1987 at Sumdorong Chu near Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh).

Thanks to a major foreign policy shift by the US, courtesy of Henry Kissinger, the last three decades of the 20th century saw the US actively supporting the growth of Chinese economy, resulting in making China a massive logistical hub. This was the period during which Deng Xiaoping’s dictum of ‘hide your strength, bide your time’ was scrupulously followed by China.

As the Chinese growth accelerated, its real colours also started emerging in the beginning of the current century. In fact, the tone and tenor of Chinese actions and statements have undergone a gradual transformation, evolving from tentative claims to outright assertiveness, at times bordering on aggression, in tandem with the growth of its economic and military power. No longer satisfied with being a regional power, it is vying to become a global pole.

At the regional level, it has asserted territorial claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, relying on the nine-dash line, much to the chagrin of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It has also claimed suzerainty over the Japanese island of Senkaku. Its perpetual threats to occupy Taiwan are a continuing saga. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its economic might are regularly used to pressurise smaller southern and east Asian countries to gain strategic and geopolitical leverage for regional hegemony.

China tends to see India as a regional rival that is an obstacle to its expansionism and has stood firm against it. Flouting agreements signed in 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2013, China has continued salami-slicing tactics in Ladakh as well as Arunachal Pradesh. Along the LAC, China’s policy has been: “My claims are sacred and irrefutable, while yours are negotiable.”

Even recent agreements on areas north of Pangong Tso, Hot Springs, Galwan, etc., reflect this reality. Despite 19 rounds of commander-level talks, there has been no resolution to the issue of illegal Chinese occupation of approximately 1,100 sq km in the Depsang Bulge area. Additionally, Indian patrols are denied access to the Charding Nilung Nullah area, which New Delhi claims as its own. Such altering of the status quo reeks of blatant expansionism.

China has ignored Indian objections to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through J&K. Furthermore, China has collaborated with Pakistan to orchestrate anti-India actions on the international stage. It has also regularly tried to win over India’s close neighbours. China has substantially expanded its presence in the Indian Ocean region, thus posing potential threats through both maritime and land routes.

To counter this multidimensional challenge, the need of the hour is to

adopt a whole-of-nation approach. While it is essential to strengthen the military to protect the nation’s territorial integrity, all other sectors must work together cohesively to provide coordinated support.

It is heartening to note that sincere efforts are being made to improve the infrastructure in border areas. However, a lot of ground remains to be covered. In several forward areas in Central and Eastern sectors, troops are logistically dependent on a single road axis, which, if blocked by the adversary, would jeopardise the defence of forward areas.

Experience has shown that the Chinese are quick to exploit perceived weaknesses but respect a firm and resolute stance. The Indian stand during the face-off at the Doklam plateau in 2017, the clashes in the Galwan valley in 2020 and subsequently at Yangtse in the Tawang sector are apt examples.

After making inroads into east Ladakh in the beginning of May 2020, only the Indian move of a pre-emptive capture of Kailash Range brought China to the negotiating table, thus ensuring withdrawal from north of Pangong Tso, Hot Springs and Galwan. Similar opportunities need to be identified all along the LAC.

Various studies have pointed to the need for enhancing our defence budget from the current 1.5 per cent of the GDP to at least 2.5 per cent, to begin with. The sooner it is done, the better equipped we will be to combat an aggressive adversary, even as the two-front threat looms large over the horizon.

Friends who can come to our aid in the event of an adverse situation need to be cultivated. A far-sighted foreign policy which caters to such an eventuality is a must. Quad and similar such partnerships can be an effective check against a recalcitrant and aggressive adversary.

While 5 drones were shot down over western Smolensk region, 1 over southern Krasnodar region

Reuters

Moscow, October 1

Russia said on Sunday that air defences had shot down five Ukrainian drones over the western Smolensk region and one over the southern Krasnodar region.

At around 0600 GMT, Russia shot down three drones over the Smolensk region and at 0700 GMT shot down two more over the region, Russia’s defence ministry said. 

ISTANBUL, October 2

Turkiye said it unleashed air strikes on militant targets in northern Iraq and detained suspects in Istanbul overnight, hours after Kurdish militants said they orchestrated the first bomb attack in the capital Ankara in years.

On Sunday morning, two attackers detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara, killing them both and wounding two police officers. The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group claimed responsibility.

The defence ministry said many militants were killed in air strikes that destroyed 20 targets — caves, shelters and depots —used by the PKK in Iraq’s Metina, Hakurk, Qandil and Gara regions.

Turkiye has stepped up military action against the PKK in northern Iraq over the last few years in operations it says are conducted under self-defence rights arising from Article 51 of the United Nations charter.

Iraqi President Abdul-Latif Rashid said in comments aired on Monday that Iraq rejected repeated Turkish air strikes or the presence of Turkish bases in its Kurdistan region and hoped to come to an agreement with Ankara to solve the problem.

The Kurdistan Workers Party is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkiye, the United States and European Union. It launched an insurgency in southeast Turkiye in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. — Reuters

No air strikes, says Baghdad

Baghdad: Iraqi President Abdul-Latif Rashid on Monday said there had been no air strikes while also rejecting the presence of Turkish bases in its Kurdistan region. “We hope to come to an agreement with Ankara to solve the problem,” he said. reuters

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 1

Tibetan NGOs, including the Tibetan Youth Congress, National Democratic Party of Tibet and the Students for Free Tibet, today organised protests at McLeodganj against China on the 74th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

In a press note, these NGOs said they stood in solidarity with activists representing Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Southern Mongolia, China and Taiwan as part of collective Global Day of Action protest against the 74th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

They said as the Chinese communist regime prepared to commemorate its 74th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, it is the day of grief for the occupied nations such as Tibet, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The protest is aimed at exposing the grave violations of international human rights law by the Chinese government. It serves as a platform to foster cross-movement solidarity in pursuit of freedom and substantial reforms in Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Mongolia and China, the Tibetan NGOs said.

Assault on Tibetan identity

• The Chinese policy of sinicization has resulted in a relentless assault on Tibetan national identity, particularly its language, religion and culture, protesters said
• By forcibly detaching Tibetan children from their families and heritage and placing them in state-run boarding schools, the Chinese authorities employ one of the most abhorrent tools of colonisation, they say

New Delhi, October 1

Mufti Qaiser Farooq, a close associate of Lashkar-e-Toiba’s (LeT) Hafiz Saeed, has been killed by unidentified gunmen in Karachi, Pakistan.

Saeed is considered to be the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks in India. Last month, another cleric with ties to the LeT, Maulana Ziaur Rahman, was shot by two bike-borne assailants during evening walk in Karachi. Sources said Pakistani agencies were making significant efforts to portray both Rehman and Mufti Qaiser as religious clerics with no connections to Saeed and the LeT. Previously, another individual linked to the ISI, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, who was the leader of the Khalistan Commando Force, was killed.

In February, Bashir Peer, a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen’s self-styled commander Syed Salahuddin, was killed in Rawalpindi by unknown assailants near the ISI headquarters. He was shot at close range.

Following these recent killings, Pakistan’s ISI has relocated several of its “assets” to secure locations, causing unease within the country’s military-industrial complex. Approximately a dozen of these individuals have been moved to designated “safe houses” by the ISI. The need for caution in safeguarding these assets became even more apparent due to the earlier killings of two additional Lashkar operatives: Abu Qasim Kashmiri in Rawalkot and Qari Khurram Shehzad in Nazimabad in September. Rahman, a suspected terrorist associated with the LeT, was reportedly killed on September 12. He had been operating as an administrator at Jamia Abu Bakar, a seminary used as a front for his terrorist activities. The Pakistan Police labeled the murder as a ‘terrorist attack,’ suggesting the involvement of homegrown “militants.” — IANS

Earlier incidents

• Maulana Ziaur Rahman, with ties to the LeT, shot dead in September
• LeT operatives Abu Qasim Kashmiri & Qari Khurram Shehzad also killed in September
• In May, KCF leader Paramjit Singh Panjwar, who had links with the ISI, was killed
• In February, Bashir Peer, a close aide of Hizb leader Syed Salahuddin, was gunned down

ISI relocates ‘assets’

Following these recent killings, Pakistan’s ISI has relocated several of its “assets” to secure locations.