New Delhi: A reported surge in military air traffic from China and Türkiye to Pakistan over nearly 60 hours has raised fresh security concerns in India, with sources indicating that the unusual activity may have involved the movement of defence equipment, including drones and other military supplies.
According to security inputs, Chinese military transport aircraft were seen arriving at Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase near Rawalpindi and Masroor airbase in Karachi. Turkish military transport aircraft were also reportedly involved in the heightened movement. The scale and concentration of the flights have drawn attention because such activity is not considered routine bilateral military traffic.
The reported airlift comes amid growing defence cooperation between Pakistan, China and Türkiye. China remains Pakistan’s primary military supplier, providing combat aircraft, air defence systems and unmanned platforms. Beijing’s defence relationship with Islamabad also deepened following last year’s India Pakistan military confrontation, during which China acknowledged that personnel from its aviation industry had provided technical assistance to Pakistan.
Türkiye has similarly expanded its strategic defence partnership with Pakistan, particularly in drones, naval technology and aerospace systems. Pakistani military officials have held discussions with Turkish counterparts on unmanned systems, defence innovation and advanced aerospace technologies.
Cooperation has also extended to Türkiye’s KAAN fifth generation fighter programme. Turkish officials have said around 200 Pakistani engineers and officials are involved in the project, while discussions are underway on formally bringing Pakistan into the programme.
The latest reported air activity also follows the August 7 signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. The pact states that an armed attack against one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all, although the participating countries have described it as defensive and not directed against any specific nation.
For India, the reported military airlift is significant because Pakistan has been strengthening its defence capabilities and expanding its supply network with both China and Türkiye. If the reported flights involved drones, weapons or other military equipment, they could indicate a coordinated logistical effort to replenish or upgrade Pakistan’s military inventory.
However, the precise nature and contents of the reported shipments have not been independently established.
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