A latest diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks says that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) personnel were being radicalised and they were sabotaging F-16s deployed for security operations along the Afghan border, India’s NDTV reported on Friday. The cable, sent in March 2006 from the US embassy to Washington, quotes then Deputy Chief of Air Staff for Operations Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Khalid Chaudhry as saying that the airmen were being radicalised by extremist clerics.
The cable quotes AVM Chaudhry as saying, “You can’t imagine what a hard time we have trying to get to trim their beards.” The cable says that Chaudhry claimed of receiving monthly reports of acts of petty sabotage, which he interpreted as an effort by Islamists amongst the enlisted ranks to prevent PAF aircraft from being deployed in FATA.
Chaudhry was briefing visiting US officials at the PAF Headquarters and impressing upon them the need to ensure the F-16 deal had enough sweeteners to appeal to the public – a complete squadron of new F-16s, with JDAM and night-vision capability.
