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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan urges Kashmir concession |
| 2007-08-16 |
| Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has said that a solution to Kashmir will not be ideal for any of the concerned parties. In an interview with the BBC's HARDtalk programme, Mr Kasuri said that "reciprocal concessions" would have to be made by all sides. Mr Kasuri was speaking to the programme to coincide with the 60th anniversary of India and Pakistan's independence. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir in the past 60 years. "Ultimately a solution to Kashmir will be one that is not the best perceived either by a majority of Indians, a majority of Pakistanis or a majority of Kashmiris," he said. "That is the short answer. It will be the best under the circumstances. It will not be ideal for either Pakistan, India or Kashmir and if it is not that, there'll be no solution to Kashmir. "There has to be reciprocal concessions, there has to be reciprocal movement. There will be no unilateral concessions by Pakistan." Indian-administered Kashmir has been the scene of a violent 17-year insurgency against Delhi's rule. Separatist groups on Wednesday called a general strike to co-incide with independence day, describing the anniversary as a "black day" and calling the celebrations "meaningless" until Kashmir gets "freedom". Correspondents say ordinary life was disrupted in the run-up to the anniversary by a security crackdown, with unpopular "cordon and search" operations and frisking of civilians stepped up. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #15 I always understood the oldest male child got some sort of exemption from wearing the turban. Anyway India should do what Israel did. Build a wall that turns the reality on the ground into realty. Don't let the Pakistani's cross the border and start to resign yourself that half of Kashmir is forever gone. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-08-16 20:39 |
| #14 There is also a Patka ballistic helmet.. designed to accomodate the turbans of Sikh soldiers |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 18:02 |
#13 20 percent of the Indian Army's top brass are Sikh, including the Army Chief .. JJ Singh.. |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 17:54 |
| #12 The Flankers the Chinese fly are designated MKK ("Kitai" is Russian for China). They lack the Western avionics, the thrust vector engines and the canards |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 17:44 |
| #11 The IL-78 is the refuelling tanker version of the IL-76 transport. The "MKI" (the SU-30 Flankers are also MKI) is Russian for Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Indiski (Modernized (Western, Indian and Israeli Avionics), Commercial (export version), India) |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 17:40 |
| #10 Yep.. Sihks are about 1/5th of the Indian Air Force pilots. They wear a "patka" under their helmets This is Arjan Singh.. a fighter pilot (squadron leader) who flew against the Japanese in Burma and was awarded the DFC. Note the Field Marshal's baton in his hand, topped with the Lion Capital of the Emperor Ashoka (273-232BC)  Now Marshall of the Indian Air Force (highest rank ever awarded) |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 17:29 |
| #9 Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has said that a solution to Kashmir will not be ideal for any of the concerned parties. Or, as we say in the legal profession: "A good settlement leaves all parties equally unhappy." |
| Posted by: Mike 2007-08-16 16:00 |
| #8 John, your picture of the Sikh crewman standing in front of the cargo plane (IL-78?) reminded me of something that has bothered me for a while: Are there any Sikh fighter pilots, since they are supposed to wear a turban, and keep their hair long? |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-08-16 15:59 |
#7 In Waddington (UK), the Indian Air Force has wargames with the RAF        |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 15:31 |
#6     Members of the Indian army relief and rescue team visit flood affected areas in the Gorakhpur district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 15:16 |
| #5 India has a moral obligation not to permit Kashmir's transfer into Islamic hands. Yes, this is a voluntary obligation but it is tremendously important to bar all further expansion of Muslim controlled lands. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-16 15:02 |
| #4 Looks like the boys in your first grouping had a successful hunting trip... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-08-16 15:01 |
#3 And in Norfolk, Virginia...    Commissioning Ceremony of INS Jalashwa, the first ever Indian Amphibious transport dock of Indian Navy, at Norfolk, Virginia |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 14:54 |
#2 Elsewhere on the LOC..  An Indian army soldier looks through a Colimeter used to point the enemy targets in Drass, about 160 km (99 miles) east of Srinagar. |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 14:51 |
#1 Meanwhile... Indian army soldiers keep guard inside a jungle in Ganthmulla, 65 km (40 miles) west of Srinagar        |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-16 14:48 |