Pakistan Air Force vs Indian Air Force: A Comparison of Capabilities, Technology and Strategy

 

            On April 22, 2025, at least 28 people were killed and over 20 injured in an attack in the tourist destination of Pahalgam in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The dead included personnel from the Indian Navy, intelligence agencies and tourists. The attack was claimed by ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF), which claimed that the attack was aimed at resisting the settlement of non-locals, which it sees as part of the demographic change in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The incident has once again brought into focus the defense balance and especially the air power comparison between Pakistan and India, the two nuclear-armed countries in South Asia. 

        The two countries are constantly competing for supremacy not only on the land and naval fronts but also in the airspace. The backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the JF-17 Thunder aircraft, the latest version of which is the JF-17 Block III. These aircraft are equipped with AESA radar, advanced BVR missiles and digital avionics. In addition, Pakistan has the Chinese J-10C, which is a modern 4.5+ generation multi-role fighter jet, and the American F-16 aircraft, which are considered the best for air superiority in dogfighting. On the other hand, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has Rafale aircraft acquired from France, which are equipped with Meteor BVR missiles, SCALP cruise missiles and advanced electronic warfare systems. And in addition, India has a large number of Su-30MKIs, while the indigenously developed Tejas LCA has also become a part of the Indian Air Force, but these aircraft are not yet considered capable of competing with the world's major air powers at a full operational level. India has over 600 fighter jets while Pakistan has around 350. 

       But when it comes to operational efficiency and decision-making agility, Pakistan has the edge thanks to cost-effective and highly integrated platforms like the JF-17. The Pakistan Air Force’s defensive strategy, training and professionalism make it a formidable air force even with a small number. The Balakot incident is a clear example of this, where Pakistan shot down an Indian MiG-21 and captured Wing Commander Abhinandan, sending a message to the world that not only the number of weapons, but also training, experience and quick response capability are decisive. The Indian Air Force has the advantages of technical diversity, large numbers and high funding, but it faces several difficulties in integrating systems. In contrast, Pakistan, despite its limited resources, has integrated planning, compatible technology, and dynamic command systems that are capable of responding quickly to any emergency. Modern air warfare is not just about strength or numbers, but strategic superiority, quick and accurate decisions, and effective training are the elements that give any air force an edge, and in this field, Pakistan has an edge over India.

Pahalgam incident: harsh diplomatic measures of India

 

    The way India used the Pahalgam incident to create an atmosphere of war in the region by immediately blaming Pakistan without any investigation and taking harsh diplomatic measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, is rapidly growing in the global community. There is a growing sense of the unreasonableness of this behavior. The international community seems to be playing its role in preparing India for a transparent investigation. 

     In this regard, important progress was made by Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Greece and Iraq yesterday. Turkish Ambassador Dr. Irfan Nezerulu, in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, made it clear that Turkey supports Pakistan’s stance on a transparent investigation into the Pahalgam incident, while the Prime Minister, while thanking the Turkish government and people, pointed out the fact that India is conspiring to link Pakistan to the incident despite failing to provide any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam incident. 

     The Foreign Ministers of Switzerland and Greece also confirmed Pakistan’s stance on a transparent and impartial investigation in a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday. The Foreign Minister, while rejecting India’s baseless allegations and provocative propaganda in his conversation with the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Switzerland, clarified the dangerous implications of India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.

     The Swiss Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan’s readiness to investigate the Pahalgam incident and expressed his desire to cooperate in the investigation. The Head of Foreign Affairs of the European Union, Kaja Klass, in a telephonic conversation with the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and India, urged both countries to exercise restraint and adopt the path of dialogue to improve the situation. Irani Foreign Minister Araqchi is also visiting Pakistan during the Pak-India tension, after which he will also go to India and meet high-ranking officials of both countries to discuss ending the mutual tension. 

      A very important development in terms of the mobilization of the international community to end the tension between Pakistan and India has come in the form of contact between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Foreign Ministers of both India and Pakistan. He has urged both countries to resolve their differences through political and diplomatic means within the framework of the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. 

     According to the Russian Embassy, ​​in an online conversation with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Lavrov discussed Pakistan-India relations. Stressing the need for bilateral communication, he said that differences should be resolved in accordance with the provisions of the 1972 Simla Agreement and the 1999 Lahore Declaration, which have agreed to adopt the method of peaceful dialogue for resolving disputes between South Asian neighbors. 

     Undoubtedly, the mobilization of the international community to end the tension between the nuclear powers of South Asia is not only a regional need but also a need for global peace and the progress made in this regard yesterday is very welcome. The wise course for the Indian government is not to let these efforts of the international community go in vain and, as Pakistan has offered, to fully cooperate in a transparent investigation of the incident with the participation of the international community, because the path of war would be disastrous for India itself and its consequences would be very serious at the global level.

Conflict is destructive for all

 

       The role of the Modi government in the Pahalgam incident is as suspicious as it is for its political interests in the Indian state elections, credible evidence of it has come to the world in the last ten days. However, the continuation of threats without presenting any evidence of accusations against Pakistan proves that the Pahalgam incident was a heartless drama created for political interests and that is why the Modi government is following the policy of maintaining tension despite the complete failure of efforts to involve Pakistan in it. The clashes on the borders have been going on for eight days and the fear of any major conflict is present at any moment. In order to harm the Pakistani economy, the Indian government has tried a new tactic by demanding the IMF to reconsider its ongoing cooperation for the improvement of the Pakistani economy. In the meantime, it is necessary for the government, army and people of Pakistan to be vigilant and keep warning the international community to thwart any Indian attempt to disrupt peace in the region.

    Yesterday, a special conference of Corps Commanders was held in this regard, and on the other hand, the Prime Minister met with the ambassadors of friendly countries and made it clear that if India is not stopped from its hostility to peace, a conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries will have severe negative effects on the entire world, so they should use their influence to end the tension. Meanwhile, the special Corps Commanders Conference chaired by Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir reiterated the country's unwavering resolve to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity. According to the conference statement, the recent incident in Pahalgam is aimed at diverting Pakistan's attention from its ongoing efforts for western borders and economic recovery. In this context, India is seeking to usurp Pakistan's legal and fundamental water rights by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, which it will not be allowed to succeed in.

     The US Vice President has also acknowledged in his statement that Pakistan is a responsible country and hopes that it will cooperate in the investigation, while he inexplicably urged India to give a response that does not create a wider regional conflict. In a situation where Pakistan, with its offer of participation, has itself demanded that a transparent and impartial investigation be conducted into the Pahalgam incident, the US Vice President's suggestion to India to respond before any investigation and inquiry is not at all reasonable and the only reason for this can be to provide a way to save India from complete embarrassment. It would be better if the US Vice President reconsiders his suggestion and advises India to refrain from unrest.

     In this unpleasant situation created by India, the position of Pakistan's all-weather friend, the People's Republic of China, is absolutely fair and unequivocal, which was being expressed continuously at the government level. However, in an interview given to CNN yesterday, prominent Chinese expert on global affairs Victor Gao also made it clear to the Indian media without any hesitation that China's determination in the matter of defending Pakistan's sovereignty should not be misjudged, the friendship between Pakistan and China is as strong as evergreen and steel. In these circumstances, the only sensible course of action for the Modi government is to move beyond the petty political tactics of short-term political interests and make good-faith progress towards a peaceful resolution of differences with Pakistan, for which Pakistan is always ready, while the path of confrontation is certain to prove disastrous for all.

New political twist in Canada

According to preliminary opinion polls, the Liberal Party has won the national election in Canada on April 28 for the third consecutive time. Although such elections are common in Western democracies, the victory or defeat of a political party does not have a long-term impact. But the reason for the surprising victory of the Liberal Party this time is that four months ago, this party was extremely unpopular among the Canadian people, and for this reason, Justin Trudeau, who has been the Prime Minister for the past ten years, had to step down from the leadership of the party and also resign from the Prime Ministership. Four months ago, the Liberal Party, which had a popularity of sixteen percent among the people, won the election on April 28 by winning forty-three percent of the vote.

Looking back at Canadian politics over the past few months, this charisma seems more a response to the aggressive behavior of the new US President Donald Trump than to the leadership ability of the Liberal Party. As soon as he took office, he criticized Canada in a disparaging manner, calling it the 51st state of the United States, and addressed the then Prime Minister as the governor of a US state. As soon as President Trump came to power, he adopted a clearly hostile attitude by imposing special customs on imports from Canada, which began a conflict between the two countries that led to a sudden rivalry between the friendly relations of the two countries. The whole world was shocked by the insults and threats of the new US President Trump, but for the Canadian people, it was an unbelievable act and a nightmare, and suddenly the entire nation was gripped by a new fear. And in view of this fear and inappropriate American behavior, Canadian politics also took a new turn, and the credit for this new political path goes to the outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who adopted a narrative of standing up to US President Trump's bullying and, while hinting at competition with America at every level, took up the task of highlighting the national solidarity of the Canadian people, completely shifting the axis of politics from internal issues to external threats. And the strong assumption is that the basis of the victory of the Canadian Liberal Party on April 28 is this anti-Trump political strategy.

If we look, not only in Canada, but in most countries of the world, during such crises, when a country is facing an external threat, the majority of the people are ready to sacrifice for the sake of national unity, ignoring internal problems. If we examine the democratic traditions and systems established in developed countries, it is clear that every election is decided by internal issues and very few global situations become the measure of the political priorities of the people. But the way the new US administration has launched an aggressive foreign policy has left the entire global system insecure, and the people of a neighboring country like Canada, in view of the threats of the new US administration, have put their internal economic and social problems aside and, contrary to past traditions, have ignored issues like inflation, health and education, and declared the Liberal Party the rightful candidate for their vote based on the government's bold stance on the foreign front. If we examine the current Canadian elections, it becomes clear that the political narrative of the Liberal Party government standing up to President Trump's bullying and threats has proven to be extremely beneficial in the elections. If we look at history, regardless of these elections, it is clear that no matter how fragmented or internally demoralized any country or nation is, it is a natural process to forget its internal differences and gather around the government of the day when it is overwhelmed by external fear.

This is what the Canadian election results indicate. The new leadership of the Liberal Party's challenge to President Trump during the elections and the rise of national support among the Canadian people appear to be the success of their political strategy, and thus Trump's threats have breathed new life into the faltering body of the Liberal Party, which was at its lowest point in its popularity four months ago, and have kept it in power. But if you look at it, it is also an indication that the demonstration of the awareness of the distinction between its national and individual interests by a conscious political society is seen only during crises, which brings to light the mutual solidarity and unity of a nation. For the Canadian people, the purpose of voting in these elections was to express their determination to assert their sovereignty by reacting to the aggressive behavior of the new American administration rather than their internal affairs, although this benefited the ruling Liberal Party politically.

Fasset Secures Sandbox License to Launch Pakistan’s First Tokenized Gold Solution

        

       Islamabad : Fasset, a global digital asset platform committed to driving financial inclusion in high-growth markets, has announced the launch of Pakistan’s first gold tokenization solution under a Regulatory Sandbox license granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

     Through this pioneering initiative, Fasset is leveraging blockchain technology to enable secure, transparent, and fractionalized investments in physical gold, empowering Pakistanis across all income levels to own fractions of gold and benefit from its historic stability and value.

       The introduction of tokenized gold marks a major milestone for Pakistan’s financial ecosystem, aligning with Fasset’s broader mission of making wealth-building tools universally accessible.

       At a time when Pakistan’s economy faces challenges such as high inflation and a depreciating currency, gold remains a trusted hedge against economic uncertainty. However, traditional methods of investing in gold have often been out of reach for many due to high upfront costs, risks associated with physical storage, and limited accessibility. Fasset’s gold tokenization solution directly addresses these barriers by allowing individuals to invest in micro-units of gold, starting with as little as 100 PKR.

       Using blockchain technology, each transaction is fully auditable and secure, significantly reducing risks of fraud and enhancing regulatory transparency. This innovative approach not only protects investors against inflation and currency devaluation but also promotes broader financial inclusion and supports the growth of a more liquid and efficient gold market in Pakistan.

      The new service is being rolled out under SECP’s Regulatory Sandbox framework, where it will undergo live testing to validate its operational processes, user experience, and scalability before expanding its reach nationwide.

 

      Fasset’s platform enables users to register accounts through secure KYC verification, deposit funds, purchase gold tokens backed 1:1 by physical gold, track their investments in real-time, and even convert their digital holdings into physical gold once a specified threshold is met, with delivery managed by trusted local partners.

      Commenting on the launch, Mohammad Raafi Hossain, CEO and Co-Founder of Fasset, said, ”At Fasset, our mission has always been to democratize access to wealth-building tools, especially in markets where traditional financial systems have left many behind. By launching Pakistan’s first gold tokenization solution, we’re giving people a safe, transparent, and affordable way to invest in one of the world’s most trusted stores of value. In a time of economic uncertainty, we’re proud to offer a solution that empowers individuals to protect and grow their wealth.

   “ This initiative is expected to significantly enhance access to safe investment options for millions of Pakistanis while boosting confidence in digital financial assets and contributing to the formalization of the local economy. 

Generals, bureaucrats have taken over the system of the country, Attorney General does not know, Chief Justice

The Supreme Court ordered the protection of Margalla National Park, an attempt was made to cancel the court order, what would be more serious contempt of court?

 The country has been made a spectacle, the bureaucrats are not serving the people, the country is made for the people and not for the gentlemen, Chief Justice Faiz Isa.

The court stopped the implementation of the notification of the dismissal of Chairperson Wildlife Board Rana Saeed, bringing the board under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

      Chief Justice Supreme Court Qazi Faiz Isa has made remarks during the hearing of the case related to the change of Wildlife Board Management Office and Chairperson. Generals and Bureaucrats have taken over the system of the country. Ordered to protect national assets, Chairperson Wildlife Board was removed from office after court order, Wildlife Department was brought under Ministry of Interior after court order. , an attempt has been made to cancel the order of the Supreme Court, he expressed indignation and said what would be a more serious contempt of court than this? Is this good governance? According to the petitioner, the Cabinet Secretary, the restaurant owner's brother Yes, brother will not help brother, then who will?

      The Chief Justice expressed his anger at the federal government and remarked, "Attorney General, you don't know how things are going. During the hearing, the Chief Justice responded to the Cabinet Secretary calling the Prime Minister 'sir' and said, 'Break the chains of slavery.'" The Prime Minister does not, Shahbaz Sharif can understand. Later, Cabinet Secretary Kamran Afzal said that I had not sent the summary of giving the National Park to the Ministry of Interior, the Prime Minister himself had issued the order which reached me. But the Chief Justice said, "You told the Prime Minister, no, it is against the rules?" The Prime Minister has no authority to do anything, this country has been made a spectacle of it, from outside the Parliament to my house there are banners of Payne City Housing Project, on the banners CDA regarding the project. Sponsored written. ? These bureaucrats are not serving the people, this country is made for the people, it was not made for the gentlemen. Housing societies have come out here.

        The Chief Justice of Pakistan asked the Cabinet Secretary if the Prime Minister orders to shoot someone tomorrow, will they shoot? Understandably, the Attorney General's Office is attached to the Law and Justice Commission, if it is attached to the Ministry of Health, would it be a valid logic? I personally am not in favor of the contempt of court proceedings, later the Supreme Court stopped the dismissal of Chairperson Wildlife Board Rana Saeed, the notification to bring the Wildlife Board under the Ministry of Interior was also stopped, the Attorney General He said that there will be a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, in which I will bring the matter to the notice of the Prime Minister and after the decision of the cabinet, I will inform you about the details in the chamber. The Chief Justice said that we do nothing in the chamber, whatever happens in my court. It happens in the open court, you give us all the details in the open court, if the Ministry of Home Affairs is so good then all the ministries including health, education and law give them. Later the Supreme Court while asking for the details related to Pine City. The hearing of the case was adjourned till August 15.

The twists and turns of politics

    There are two important news at this time. A news related to the new legislation on reserved seats under which a bill to further amend the Elections Act has been introduced in the National Assembly. Under the bill, the declaration of affiliation to a political party cannot be changed, an independent member can join a party within 3 days, a party which has not listed reserved seats cannot be given reserved seats. According to another news, former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan has expressed his desire to negotiate with the army. Talking to the journalists in the courtroom, he said that we are ready to negotiate with the army, the army should appoint its representative, we will negotiate. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's desire to talk to the opposition has come up more than once, but no formal communication has been highlighted in this regard. On Saturday, July 27, Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Mossadegh Malik repeated this offer in a press conference in the form of a suggestion that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should sit down with the government and help the country get out of the current difficult situation. However, in the second breath, he declared PTI as an enemy of the country, while in response PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan accused the government of double standard and said that on the one hand PTI workers are is being imposed and on the other hand they are being offered negotiations.

   On May 23, in a conversation with the private TV News channel, Information Minister Atta Tarar stated that in principle a decision has been taken to ban PTI, but a wider agreement is awaited among the ruling coalition in this regard. One aspect of the situation is the rumor from various sources and circles that social media is being used irresponsibly and even terroristically by PTI. The democratic system that we, our political parties and all circles talk about is defined by Abraham Lincoln as "Government of the people, for the people, by the people" making it clear that different ideological elements can make parties and groups their ideals. , to work sincerely for the country and the people with intellectual and other abilities and energies given by nature. If the founder PTI has expressed willingness to negotiate, it should be given serious consideration. If there is any obstacle in direct dialogue, indirect communication should be adopted. Doubts, complaints should be tabled and resolved there.

The country is currently facing a serious economic crisis. Terrorism and unrest are based on it. On the basis of which, the unity of the entire nation should come forward. There are some aspects of the May 9 incident that should be clear. In the past, there was a perception of legislation that certain laws were made to benefit or harm certain people. Now such an impression should not be created. All institutions including the judiciary are our capital and should be respected. Free and fair elections are certainly important, but in the current economic and social conditions, such a big adventure has its own implications, which require serious consideration. This chapter should use the possible way forward instead of imposing conditions on direct, indirect, backdoor whatever form of communication is possible. The security and development of Pakistan is the point that every individual of the country should keep an eye on.