Pakistan defense minister warns of Israel-India military partnership

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has asserted that Israel and India maintain a long-standing military partnership aimed against Pakistan, characterizing both nations as enduring adversaries of Islamabad. He emphasized that their defense cooperation has developed over decades and should not be viewed as a recent phenomenon.

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Israel and India have maintained a long-standing military partnership against Pakistan, describing both countries as Islamabad's enduring adversaries.

Asif's comments, made in an interview with the Urdu edition of The Independent, followed recent public disclosures by former Israeli Air Force officers. These officers detailed Israel's military assistance to India during the 1999 Kargil War. In an interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV, former officers Ami and Shlomo stated that Israel expedited the integration of systems like the Litening Targeting Pods onto India's Mirage 2000 fighter jets during the conflict.

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their defense cooperation has evolved over several decades and should not be seen as a recent development.

The former Israeli officials noted this was the first time they were publicly discussing Israel's role in the Kargil War. Responding to these revelations, Asif stated they confirmed his long-held view that cooperation between India and Israel against Pakistan predates the Kargil conflict, continued throughout it, and persists today. He argued that these disclosures demonstrate a shared historical hostility toward Pakistan.

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a defense project launched in 1996 was transformed into an emergency mission after the conflict erupted, prompting Israel to expedite the integration of Litening Targeting Pods and other systems on India's Mirage 2000 fighter jets.

Asif further commented on the current international landscape, claiming that both India and Israel are isolated. He asserted that India lacks direction globally and has lost its international standing, contrasting this with Pakistan's perceived important international position, which he attributed to the country's leadership. Asif has previously drawn controversy for his strong criticism of Israel, including a deleted social media post calling Israel 'evil' and a 'curse for humanity.'

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cooperation between India and Israel against Pakistan was not a recent development.