Next Pak China deal

 

Pakistan may procure an upgraded export version of the Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) Zhishengji-10 (Z-10) attack helicopter for service in the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAAC) according to its commander, Major General Syed Najeeb Ahmed. Speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter conference in London, Ahmed said that the CAIC Z-10ME “remains an option” for the PAAC. “We are looking at other options,” he was quoted as saying by Flight Global on February 26. “One of them is in China in the shape of the new attack helicopter they have created called the Z-10ME. In case the first two options [the AH-1Z Viper and the T129] do not materialize this third option will be considered.” In April 2016, Bell announced that it would sell 12 AH-1Z Vipers to Pakistan. The U.S. State Department had approved the sale of 15 AH-1Z Vipers and associated equipment at an estimated cost of $952 million to Pakistan in April 2015. While the first rotorcraft were expected to be handed over to the PAAC by mid-2017, no delivery has taken place to date due to deteriorating U.S-Pakistan relations. The Pakistani government and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) also signed a contract for the sale of 30 T129 multirole attack helicopters in 2018. Both the T129 and AH-1Z Viper are powered by the U.S.-made LHTEC CTS800–4A turboshaft engine. The United States, however, has so far refused to grant U.S. export licenses for the engine. Delays in the development of an indigenous Turkish engine for the helicopter has prevented deliveries of the helicopter gunships. PAAC conducted extensive trials with the T129 and the Z-10. In the end, the T129 prevailed over the Z-10 principally due to the weak performance of the latter’s WZ-9 turboshaft engine, which reportedly prevented the Z-10 from carrying its maximum weapons payload during military operations. China has been working on a more powerful engine, the WZ-16, which has reportedly not entered serial production yet. There is also no concrete indication that any Z-10s have been fitted with this more powerful engine. After U.S. embargoes halted sales of a Turkish-made helicopter, Pakistan is considering procuring Chinese helicopter gunships.

ENGR. OMAR SHAHKAR,

Islamabad.

 
 

Marriage ceremonies

 

Pakistan is facing many economic challenges today. Numbers of elements are involved in increasing the economic challenges. Lavish expenditure on marriage ceremonies is one of such factors. In Pakistan, a handsome amount of money is spent on wedding ceremonies, insane display of spending on lavish wedding halls, elaborate meals, decoration, dowry, expensive jewellery, giveaways, the lighting of houses, and similar acts. This show of money creates competition across all the socio-economic groups of the community. It is completely a waste of resources if it is used for such wasteful reasons.

Marriage is a significant event of human life, the beginning of a new and beautiful relationship, an important change of position, many values, traditions, and expectations. But in Pakistan, the main focus is on the week standards of weddings and we completely neglect the other factors that are actually important to build a marriage and make it work. The real essence of marriage is completely lost in our traditions.

As an educated member of this society, we should start thinking in this direction, we need to show a higher level of awareness in order to bring change in our society. We should recognise the economic problems in our country and start spending money wisely to strengthen the position of the newly married couple because the couple needs to build an entire life together. Such a change in our attitude can bring positive change in our society.

SHAFAQ AHMED,

Islamabad.

Cyber war

 

It is believed that in the past there was not high technology between countries to fight, but in the 21st-century countries are more advanced technologically, and a visible threat of cybercrime is also present. According to US News and World Report ranking Pakistan is one of the 22nd powerful countries in the world but has got hacked many times.

To begin with, Pakistan is a powerful country but unfortunately, many of the hackers hacked it’s websites a couple of times; for instance in November 2018 hackers hacked almost all the websites of banking. Caption (retd) Muhammad Shoaib, in an interview with Geo News, said that almost all the Pakistani banks’ data were hacked. In addition, Indian hackers hacked the websites of Peshawar, Islamabad, Karachi and Multan’s airports. It shows that Pakistan got in cyber attacks and it may happen again. A few weeks ago Hamas hacked the smartphones of the soldiers of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) through an application and accessed everything. It means that Pakistan also may be targeted. In my opinion, just like the threat of Hamas’ cyber attacks on Israel, the possible danger of cyber military attacks is still in the air. Pakistan’s military and cybersecurity organisations should be more vigilant in the matter.

DOSTAIN BALOCH,

Balochistan.