The Pakistan Air Force has unveiled plans to purchase, build and fly more than 150 J-10 planes, one the finest flying birds in the Chinese inventory. This acquision (which includes shared development, improvement in design, and local manufacting in Pakistan) will add unprecedented fire power to the PAF which is continueing to build, and export the JF-17 Thunders. Islamabad plans to build more than 500 JF-17 Thunders and keep at least 250 of these for its own use. In a major move to boost its... Read Full Story

Map of Yemen Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki denies his country is aiding rebel groups in Yemen.  Reports of fighting along the Yemen-Saudi border continue, with conflicting accounts of who is attacking whom.  Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Yemen must mend its relations with Yemeni Shi'ites, a minority to which the Houthi rebels belong. At a news conference in Tehran, Mottaki addressed Yemeni accusations Shi'ite Iran is supporting the Houthis, who hav... Read Full Story

FORMER Afghan Prime Minister Gulbadin Hekmatyar has said that Mr Osama bin Laden is alive, in a video message reported by a private TV channel on Monday. Mr Hekmatyar’s statement does two things at the very beginning: first, it establishes that Mr Hekmatyar knows of the health of bin Laden, and second, it shows that all US efforts, which have included raining down missiles on the territory of a state supposedly an ally in violation of its sovereignty, have failed. Mr Hekmatyar has also said t... Read Full Story

The capital is buzzing with rumors about the Minus one formula. Mr. Ahsan himself did not kill the rumors. He did say that Mr. Zardari’s wings are about to be clipped (58-2b). Mr. Ahsan has not denied the rumors. Ahtizaz Ahsan is one of those mercurial figures that rose to prominence on the back of the old guard of the Pakistan Peoples Party. He is a consummate PPP stalwart and refused to resign the party despite being rebuffed by Mr. Zardari and despite the fact that his party’s leadership w... Read Full Story

RICHARD Holbrooke has, in a recent interview, once again reiterated the periodic US statement on the need for a lowering of tensions between Pakistan and India and for seeking a resolution of the Kashmir dispute. According to Holbrooke Pakistan has made it clear to the US that unless Kashmir is resolved, the “war on terror” cannot be won. The US also fears that if Pakistan-India tensions continue Pakistan will reduce its efforts in the war on terror and may even withdraw from it a... Read Full Story

  The noted epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan made some sound observations which echo the writings of one of the most prominent historians of our time Dr. Dani. Like Dr. Dani Dr. Mahadevan clearly says that the Hindu Aryan culture was distinctly different than the culture of the Indus Valley Civilization which was not Hindu. The IVC did not worship the “Hindu” Pantheon in any sense of the word. The IVC was mostly restriction to the valley of the Indus—however at the tail end of the civiliz... Read Full Story

  The noted epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan made some sound observations which echo the writings of one of the most prominent historians of our time Dr. Dani. Like Dr. Dani Dr. Mahadevan clearly says that the Hindu Aryan culture was distinctly different than the culture of the Indus Valley Civilization which was not Hindu. The IVC did not worship the “Hindu” Pantheon in any sense of the word. The IVC was mostly restriction to the valley of the Indus—however at the tail end of the civiliz... Read Full Story

    Commenting on the question of how much the US really knew about Pakistan’s nuclear security plan, General Tariq responded, ‘only that much as they can guess and nothing more.’ – APP/File photo World Iran charges three Americans with espionage Iran charges three Americans with espionage ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military chief said that his country did not need any foreign help in guarding its nuclear facilities because they were already well protected. Islamabad angrily... Read Full Story

photo credit: MCT In our history and social studies classes, we learn that history tends to repeat itself. We study history so that we can prevent past failures from recurring and cultivate past successes even further. But with the recent news coming from Afghanistan, I question whether our leaders remember those lessons from their social studies classes. At the end of October, eight more troops were reported dead in Southern Afghanistan, the region closest to Pakistan. Their deaths increas... Read Full Story

The Iranian tentacles reach the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, the Shia clerics of Pakistan, the militants of Hizbullah in Iran, and the Shias of Yemen. Across all this vast region the neighbors accuse Iran of interference. In some cases the interference is welcomed by the Muslim world. However this reach across borders is a double edged sword. The Iranian mullahs have taken a just stand on Palestine, and Kashmir. However they want to topple Arab governments which scares many of the Arab s... Read Full Story