Pakistan’s army denies reports of cancelation of helicopter deal with Turkey

Speculations over T-129 ATAK helicopters deal baseless, says army’s media wing

Pakistan’s army Friday rejected some digital media reports that Pakistan has canceled a T-129 ATAK helicopter deal with Turkey.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, clarified that speculations over the cancelation of Pakistan’s deal for acquiring T-129 ATAK helicopters from Turkey are baseless.

Addressing a news conference on Jan. 5, the Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar, explaining Pakistan’s defense procurement needs, said Pakistan’s armed forces are continuously enhancing their capacity and upgrading technology while remaining cognizant of the threat and operational requirements.

“While answering a question related to Pakistan’s deal with Turkey for acquiring T-129 ATAK helicopters, the statement made by DG ISPR was misconstrued on some digital media platforms.

“It is clarified that Pakistan has never ruled out an acquisition of military helicopters from Turkey. All speculations in this regard are baseless,” said ISPR.

Talking about the situation along the country’s eastern border, Gen. Iftikhar said: “Our adversary is continuously procuring the latest equipment. Any conventional imbalance in the region is very dangerous and can lead to an arms race.”

On border fencing with Afghanistan, the general said the situation on the western border remained challenging in 2021, mainly due to evolving situation in Afghanistan.

He explained that under a comprehensive border management regime, 94% of fence work on the Pak-Afghan border and 71% of fence work on the Pak-Iran border has been completed.