In numbers: India and Pakistan's unequal militaries
In numbers:Troop strength: India is around 1.5 million strong; Pakistan, around 6,60,000Defence budgets (2024): India's was $86 billion, and Pakistan's was around $10 billionNuclear warheads: India has 180 and Pakistan has 170Military equipment: India has 480 aircraft while Pakistan has 300. In terms of naval vessels, India has 210 and Pakistan has 44In-depth: Insurgency in Kashmir started in 1989, and India and Pakistan have fought several wars, mostly over Kashmir. The fourth Indo-Pakistani war took place in 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh. India also launched retaliatory military strikes in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in 2016 and 2019. This time, India wants a stronger response to the latest attack, the deadliest in Kashmir since 2019.India has the edge in firepower — more troops, aircraft, ships, and far greater defence spending. Meanwhile, Pakistan also has to focus on its western border with Afghanistan, dealing with cross-border militancy there.advertisementIndia is building new "theatre commands" to improve military coordination more effectively. According to the Military Balance 2025 report, "In May 2024, the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Act was unveiled, amid a move to establish theatre commands, designed to improve integration."India is increasing its nuclear capabilities. In 2024, it tested its Agni-V ICBM with MIRVs. The country uses many Soviet and Russian-made systems and collaborates with Russia on missile development. Recently, it imported foreign equipment, mainly from the US and France. In 2023, India and the US signed a defence and technology cooperation agreement to boost security ties. Recruitment of term-limited personnel continues under the Agnipath scheme.Pakistan's military has long been focused on countering India and Afghanistan. Recruitment is high, but the armed forces face internal issues like political interference and financial strain. A 2003 ceasefire, reaffirmed in 2021, has lowered cross-border conflict in Kashmir. But after the Pahalgam massacre, it's rising again.Despite a struggling economy, Pakistan invests in nuclear and missile programmes. This includes the Ababeel ballistic missile, which can carry multiple warheads. The Military Balance 2025 report states that China is Pakistan's largest defence partner, with many forces using Chinese military equipment. However, tensions with both India and the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan still impact and test its border security capabilities.advertisementThe international environment has changed since 2019. So, this time, India's response could be harsher. Both sides have downplayed the risk of a full-scale war. Both are still building out their nuclear arsenals. India maintains a "no first use" policy, while Pakistan doesn't.What they said: 'The horrendous terror attack in Pahalgam has angered people in India and across the world. India is united in uprooting the menace of terrorism,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on April 27.'We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. So, in that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken,' Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said.Tune InTrending Reel
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India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Is India's good friend cheating it over jointly developed air defense system? The friend is..., it is selling DRDO's...,
New Delhi: India and Israel have had a strong defense partnership for the last several decades. But this is the first time that questions have been raised on the intentions of the friendly country. Allegations are being made that Israel is marketing and trying to sell this air defense system alone, which it had made in collaboration with India's DRDO. What is the advanced air defense system in question? Barak-8 is an advanced air defense system. This is the same system that intercepted and shot down a Pakistani missile in the sky in Sirsa, Haryana. It has been developed jointly by India's DRDO and Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries. According to the latest reports, Israel is now trying to sell this missile to some countries of the world by giving it a new name of 'Barak-MX'. Barak-8 was an important milestone in the strategic relations between the two countries, but Israel's attempt to sell this missile alone is going to trouble India. Why could it affect DRDO's credibility? A website named has claimed that Israel has not included the technology developed by DRDO in the export variant of Barak-8 air defense system. Especially the dual pulse rocket motor has not been included by Israel in the variant being sold. Israel's attempt to do so hurts the hard work of DRDO, its capability and the name it is building in the defense sector as it has made many weapons based on indigenous technology for India. What is the contribution of Indian entities in this project? India started this project in 2006 with Israel at an initial cost of Rs 2500 crore with an aim developing advanced air defense systems for both countries. This air defense system was designed to intercept ballistic missiles, advanced drones, cruise missiles and fighter aircraft up to the fourth generation. Major Indian defense companies including Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) were involved in the production of essential parts of this system. In collaboration with Israel, India has developed an advanced air defense system, which has also proved its capability by shooting down the Pakistani ballistic missile Fateh-2 in the air. DRDO developed a special dual-pulse rocket motor for the Barak air defense system which gives the missile fired from this air defense system the ability to maintain its speed and change direction suddenly until it hits the target. Israel also got a huge defense market like India for this missile defense system. Why is Israel selling this system unilaterally under a different name? Despite this, Israel is selling this system unilaterally under the name 'Barak MX' for which it has signed a deal with Azerbaijan for 12 Barak air defense systems. In 2022, Israel had signed a deal worth $ 500 million with Morocco. The main point of contention is that the Barak air defense systems that Israel is selling do not have dual-pulse rocket motors, which have been developed by DRDO. Reportedly, Israel is talking to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about the sale of Barak defense systems. Is Israel trying to bypass India? According to by using its propulsion system in the export model of the Barak Defense System, Israel is bypassing the help that India has provided at the technology level. Due to this, India is not getting any benefit in the global defense market. Apart from this, the situation is also not clear regarding the intellectual property and data rights related to this project, which raises questions on India's technical and economic participation. According to the report, Israel's doing this has put New Delhi into action. It is believed that if Israel tries to make partnerships on a unilateral basis, then both future strategic cooperation and trust in Israel may be affected. This may affect future defense agreements between the two countries.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Pashtun Attire & Weapons: Why Karachi University Students' Performance Sparked Outrage
Top intelligence sources said: 'The use of traditional cultural symbols as props for a mock terrorist show highlights the state's view of an entire ethnic group." A recent seminar at the University of Karachi, where participants dressed in traditional Pashtun attire and carried weapons in a stage performance, thus inaccurately portraying them as terrorists, has led to outrage across Pakistan's academic and civil society circles. The display, deemed culturally insensitive, reinforced long-standing state propaganda by associating Pashtun identity with extremism. Top intelligence sources criticised the University of Karachi for promoting dangerous views under the guise of national security narratives. 'The use of traditional cultural symbols as props for a mock terrorist show highlights the state's view of an entire ethnic group, especially at a time when Pashtuns face ongoing discrimination and suspicion," they said. This event has not only undermined the credibility of a major educational institution but also demonstrates how educational institutions in Pakistan are being utilised for ideological conflicts, they added. Universities in Pakistan are becoming breeding grounds for radicalisation, with campaigns indirectly encouraging students to adopt extremist state-sponsored ideologies, said sources. News18 had earlier reported how the historical resentment over the merger fuelled has political instability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for decades. Today, several separatist and militant movements continue to challenge the Pakistani government's control over the region. Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) emerged as a significant non-violent movement advocating for the rights of Pashtuns. The PTM accused the Pakistani military and government of treating Pashtuns as second-class citizens and called for the formation of a 'Greater Pashtunistan' by uniting Pashtun territories in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the largest Islamic militant group in Pakistan, remains highly active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the adjoining tribal areas. The TTP seeks to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish Sharia law. The group intensified its attacks on military and government targets, especially after the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Baloch separatist groups have also found common ground with Pashtun rebels, forming alliances to resist Pakistani military operations. The longstanding grievances of both the Baloch and Pashtun communities reflect the broader discontent that stems from the political decisions made at the time of Partition. With Agency Inputs view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Pune ‘drug party' raid: CM Fadnavis' first reaction as ex-minister Eknath Khadse's son-in-law among 7 held
In first comments after former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse's son-in-law was arrested after Pune Police busted a rave party on Sunday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that although it appears that a crime was committed, he will only be able to talk more about it after he receives a proper briefing. According to a PTI report, police arrested seven persons after busting a "drug party" following a raid at an apartment in Pune early on Sunday and seized narcotics, hookah set ups and liquor, officials said. Pranjal Khewalkar, the husband of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse's daughter Rohini Khadse, was among those arrested, they said. Rohini Khadse is state president of the women's wing of the opposition NCP (SP). Reacting to the arrest, CM Fadnavis said, 'Even I saw it only in the media. I've been attending programmes since morning, so I haven't received an actual briefing on it yet. Based on what is being shown in the media, the police have busted a rave party, and some people have been found there. Drugs were reportedly found.' 'Once I receive a proper briefing, I will be able to comment on it. Prima facie, it appears that a crime has taken place at that location,' the CM was quoted by ANI as saying. The police's Crime Branch carried out the raid at the studio apartment located in the upscale Kharadi area of Maharashtra's Pune city based on a tip-off about a rave party, an official told PTI. The raid was conducted around 3.30 am on Sunday and a 'drug party' was busted at the studio apartment, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingle said at a press conference in Pune. During the raid and subsequent search, police seized 2.7 grams of cocaine-like substance, 70 gm of a ganja-like substance, a hookah pot, various hookah flavours, and liquor, and beer bottles, Pingle said. "We have arrested seven individuals, identified as Pranjal Khewalkar, Nikhil Poptani, Sameer Sayyad, Shripad Yadav, Sachin Bhombe, Isha Singh and Prachi Sharma, under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act," he said. All the accused were sent for medical examination and their reports are awaited, the official said. Reacting to the raid, Eknath Khadse said it should be probed if there was a political motive behind the police action. Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare said the raid is a message for those speaking against the government. (With inputs from agencies)
