Khawaja Asif cites former Israeli officers’ remarks while highlighting longstanding strategic partnership
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that military cooperation between India and Israel has existed for decades and should not be viewed as a recent development, describing both countries as Pakistan’s longstanding adversaries.
Speaking in an interview with the Urdu edition of The Independent, Asif said recent comments by former Israeli Air Force officers reinforced Islamabad’s long-held position regarding defence cooperation between New Delhi and Tel Aviv.
His remarks followed an interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV in which two former Israeli Air Force officers said Israel provided equipment and technical support to the Indian Air Force during the 1999 Kargil conflict. The former officers said a defence project initiated in 1996 was accelerated after the outbreak of the war, enabling the rapid integration of Litening targeting pods and other systems on India’s Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft.
Minister links disclosures to longstanding partnership
Reacting to those comments, Asif said the disclosures confirmed that India and Israel had maintained strategic cooperation against Pakistan for many years.
He also argued that both countries continue to coordinate on issues affecting Pakistan’s security interests. Additionally, Asif claimed that Pakistan currently holds a stronger international position, while asserting that India has become increasingly isolated. Those remarks reflect his assessment and have not been independently verified.
Past remarks and drone claims resurface
The interview also renewed attention on Asif’s earlier criticism of Israel. In April, he posted comments on X condemning Israel before later deleting the post. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar publicly criticised those remarks.
Separately, Asif referred to Pakistan’s claims during the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict that India used Israeli-made Harop loitering munitions in drone attacks on multiple Pakistani cities. Pakistan’s military attributed the drones to Israel Aerospace Industries, while India has disputed various Pakistani claims made during the conflict.
Asif concluded that Pakistan should continue monitoring defence cooperation between India and Israel, saying the partnership is likely to remain an important factor in the country’s long-term security calculations.
