Why every other Super Power is offering Pakistan Fighter Jets and what’s in it for Pakistan?

Couple of years back Pakistan was thirstily looking for a possible acquisition of fighter jets and no country besides China was offering them any. Now! US, Russia & China have offered fighter jets to Pakistan, good times to be in the top command of Pakistan Armed Force.

How will the deal go down is a question for the future but things are starting to get interesting. I don’t have all the details but these acquisition are not possible by paying the amount in cash, it is certainly a deal on credit. But the real question is what has prompted these countries to offer one of their leading jets to Pakistan, a country which is at odds with a so called Super Power. 

Let’s first take a look on what China is offering. FC-20 or more popularly known as J10B. Pakistan engineers/pilots were hooked on the jet a long time, the time when J10 was on trial. Pakistanis were so interested that they requested several modification and upgrade to the jet, which later lead to the creation of J10B. Now when the plane is ready Pakistan is having trouble with financing the acquisition, even though the chances of credit terms (they still have to pay back the loan). Then there is also the question of maintaining the plane. A new kind of jet means huge maintenance cost as they have to develop a whole infrastructure for it. News is that one of the trial plane is flying with a Chinese Engine – regular planes have Russian engine which is cause of concern – just in case relationship deteriorates with Russia.

Second in the line of offering is Russian SU35 fighter jet. The fighter has develop it’s identity as one of the most agile modern fighter jets – ideal for dogfights, which Pakistan is famous for. Though there is a School of Thought which believes that the age of dogfights is over – but not Pakistanis. Thanks due to sanction for most of the previous decade Pakistan was denied acquisition of latest fighter jets which have the capability to fire missiles that are beyond visual range (i.e BVR missiles), Pakistan has acquired the art of getting closer to the enemy and then popping up for a dogfight. The SU35 is not just about dogfights, it is one of most potent fighters in the Industry and the most advance product in offering for Pakistan. The reason Russia has offered it to Pakistan can be associated to

1. India inclination to the United States has prompted Russia to take sides
2. They are just finding new customer for their product
3. Pakistan inclusion in SCO. A SCO member should be elevated to a superior standard.

And then there is ever so popular F-16s, which Pakistanis are ever so hungry for, they even jump in dumpster on chance of finding some part of the jet. Pakistanis give preference to the jet mainly because of two reasons. First, they already have a well set infrastructure for the plane, they can maintained the jets even through the sanctions and second that their pilots a very much accustom to the plane, reducing the training time plus they know the plane capabilities to furthest extant. What every fighter they choose, Pakistan would defiantly buy some of these fighters. The reason United States has offered the plane can be associated to

1. Counter the Russian offering, prompting Pakistan to side with the US.
2. Depleting Pakistan Air Force budget so they can’t focus developing JF-17 – A strategy the west have used repeatedly all over the world
3. They have to utilize the grant given to Pakistan inside US only – I hate, when they do that.

With the above offerings Pakistan is really in a fix. Firstly, they have to side with someone. They also want to keep China happy, as they are the only one which would be offering them 5^th Generation fighters when they ready. Whatever the outcome be, Long Live Pakistan

The writer is not an expert in the field. Any observation above are personal and should not be taken under consideration for any decision. The information summarized above is gained through news and open forums. 

Waiting Lines - Fazaia Housing Scheme

Was quite interested when I heard about the PAF Housing complex, as a person who missed out on the Bahria and DHA bonanza, this was the time to cash-in on the project. The whole enthusiasm went in vain, when I saw some 200 people lineup at HBL bank for the Rs.1,000 forms. I don’t have that much time and energy, to stand all day in line for just the form. I initially thought of dropping the idea altogether, but just the next day someone called me for the forms, why me?

Oh Shit! I have a close relative at HBL head office, I am ‘THE’ person to contact for forms. I called up my relative to request for some forms. In return he told me that if I get hold of some, get him a couple, What!. The story was that PAF Fazaia Housing Scheme picked up the unsold forms from HBL as there was some news of mismanagement and even rioting, also that forms were sold in black, fetching 10k-15k per form. PAF intends to sell the forms at their own booths. Next day someone informed me that the booths were torn-off at PAF museum and the PAF staff fled the scene (with the forms L) not before a baton charge to the people queuing for the forms. 

Does the people know anything about the queue management, it’s a whole science. But as before, in Pakistan people feel proud when they see hundreds of people queuing up for something that they have. A very simple approach would have been to upload the form on a website and ask them to deposit the Rs.1,000 fees along with any other amount, when they were depositing the forms. Infact, it would have been further simplified if the amount was also deposited electronically, there are 10s of methods available these days.

For me, this time again I would be let to the helms of brokers who would either sell the file or eventually the plots on a premium. There is one important finding from the project, Karachiites are hungry for good investment and they are not comfortable with financial investments i.e. stocks or bonds. Trust has been shifted to Property Developers.

Pakistan's most critical issue

Ask a common Pakistani about the most critical issue of Pakistan, an astonishing 90% would give a single word answer, Zardari. A problem that alas has no end in sight, Zardari will be replaced by his likes from the dirty pool of Pakistani Politics, most hope for Imran Khan, a new face with new hope.

The most critical issue of Pakistan is not Zardari or our politicians in general, they are just a part of a bigger problem, that is fresh water. Fresh Water which produces Pakistan's 40% electricity, provides for agriculture which in turns provides 90%+ food & fiber, most raw materials for our industries (in the shape of cotton etc) and most essentially, the water we need to drink. In very accurate phrase, Pakistan won't survive without water.

Is something happening to water?

A lot is happening and a few times the media has also highlighted the issue but things get jumbled in between the many happenings in the country, from Veena Malik to Tahir-ul-Qadri, to the escalation on the borders. The armed forces are too busy protecting the borders and the politicians & bureaucrats busy playing "Zardari Zardari". The whole issue is the violation of the Indus water treaty.

The water from the Indus basin is distributed into two streams, western & eastern. The Western stream comprises of three rivers Indus, Jhelum & Chenab on which Pakistan has exclusive rights, while India has more or less exclusive rights over Eastern stream. As India need for water grew they built dams & diverted rivers on the western stream of Indus basin (violation of Indus Water treaty), which brings India in control of the Indus Basin waters, Pakistan’s primary source of freshwater source.

On top of it the supply from Indus has reduced considerably in the last decade, coupled with the use of water by India thins the supply of water to Pakistan.

What is Pakistan doing about it?

 

Chairman Pakistan Indus Water Commission, Jamat Ali Shah, the person responsible for not highlighting the issue when the dam was being constructed succeeded in escaping to Canada last year, despite his name being in the 'Exit control List'. The Government is in general not that interested to tackle the issue, they are too busy protecting their behinds. The armed forces are too focused on not getting them involved in politics.

That leaves Social societies & Individuals. A handful of people are protesting and highlighting the issue but nothing actionable is being done. On the positive side, Pakistan Business Council is taking action on the issue, what they can & cannot do is a question we all want answers for. Anatol Lieven in his book Pakistan: A hard Country highlighted water, as being the only issue that is threatening the existence of Pakistan. Majid Nizami Editor in Chief of The Nation daily newspaper advised Pakistanis to get themselves ready for war with India on water issue.

A war with India can be considered an extreme scenario but the questions we all should ask is

Can we survive without Indus?

Dilemma of Family Businesses in Pakistan

Family Businesses in Pakistan are the real success story, where most of the Businesses are run by Entrepreneurs' children & then their children and so on. There are very few cases where the torch has been handed over to Professionals. It seems that Entrepreneurs have little trust in professionals to run their businesses or there is something entirely different.

What this translates into?

The business growth is limited by the number and interest of Seth's children. 

I came across a story by Asad Umar speaking about the dilemma. He was traveling with a well known successful entrepreneur in Pakistan, during the discussion the Entrepreneur talked about the vast array of facilities offered by Bangladesh for the textile sectors in Pakistan and that many Pakistani Businesses are moving there.

That is where things get interesting, when Asad queried on the reason why he hadn't moved his Business there. The answer was

None of my children want to live in Bangladesh

 
If this is whats limiting the growth of businesses in Pakistan then there is an urgent need for the Business Schools to come up with research of those organization who have successfully handed over their business to professionals. Also, work should be done to change the mindset of the Seth's in Pakistan.