US backing India for military exercises: Pak daily

India will be holding military exercises along the Sino-Pak border areas "without any formal advance intimation to either Beijing or Islamabad" as it has the backing of the US, said a Pakistani daily.

India will be holding military exercises along the Sino-Pak border areas "without any formal advance intimation to either Beijing or Islamabad" as it has the backing of the US, said a Pakistani daily.

HT Image

The Nation said in an editorial that in less than a month's time, India will be holding "second round of military exercises along the Sino-Pak border areas using Russian-made T-20 tanks without any formal advance intimation to either Beijing or Islamabad".

"These are not routine exercises and are being held with a purpose.

"Defence experts and observers are of the view that these war games are being held with full blessing of the United States which is bent upon propping up India as a counterweight to China in the backdrop of Beijing's rise as the next super power both economically and with defence point of view," it said.

The editorial added, "There is an urgent need to explore all our options to revisit our defence deal with China and look for new vistas for arms purchases since the United States is not a reliable ally anymore."

The US-Pakistan ties became strained following the May 2 killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad city.