PoK News Digest of Jun 2010

The current issue embodies reports on the natural catastrophe that looms large over the PoK region and the ensuing discontent amongst masses who find themselves caught amidst uncertainties. There was widespread rage over delayed response from the government of Pakistan when Hunza valley was threatened by glacial outbursts and flood last month. People were displaced in large numbers and this posed a huge challenge to the state apparatus which has not
proved efficient on earlier emergency situations such as this. PoK is vulnerable to natural calamities as it lies in an extremely sensitive seismic zone and the construction of dams and other infrastructure have proved rather adverse to the environmental balance in the region. It is important to note that the region cannot afford a calamity of the scale of the 2005 earthquake which incurred colossal damage to the lives of people.

A report included in this edition very significantly attempts to draw a link between the Times Square bomber, Shehzaad Faisal and the terror camps in PoK by revealing that he was trained at a Lashkar camp near Muzaffarabad back in 2006. Notably, Faisal admitted to his links with Lashkar during his interrogation by US authorities.

Prime Minister of the so called AJK, Raja Farooq Haider strongly opposed Pakistan’s interference in the internal matters of AJK and noted that such meddling would lead to adverse consequences. This development reemphasizes the trust deficit between Pakistan and the so called AJK which has persisted over more than 60 years of Pakistan’s invasion of PoK.

Please Read the Digest: PoK News Digest of Jun 2010

Courtesy: IDSA, India - A Think Tank of India on Matters Defence.

India’s Naval Power and Indian Ocean

India's increasing role in the Asia-Pacific has been firmly supported by the region's premier naval power, the United States. Since 2001, the U.S. and India have conducted over 40 joint military exercises, including one of the largest multilateral naval exercises ever held in the region, Malabar 2007, which featured three aircraft carriers, 28 surface vessels, 150 aircraft and over 20,000 personnel from India, the U.S., Japan, Australia and Singapore. A 10-year Indo-U.S. defence pact signed in June 2005 deepened intelligence-sharing, military technology transfers, missile-defense collaboration and arms sales.

The question for New Delhi will be how best to leverage this progress for additional security and improved relations throughout the region. Although India's "Look East" policy has clearly met with success, there are many in India who still fail to acknowledge the vital role it is poised to play in Asia. The ability of countries in the region to partner effectively with India would be enhanced significantly were New Delhi to define more concretely its vision for the country's broader role in Asia.

Read the full Article: India’s Naval Power and Indian Ocean

Svipja Technologies
Courtesy: USIBC and Its News Agencies.

Moments of Truth

Chinese President's Visit to the US
US President's Visit to China

Courtesy: Internet Fan