F-16s to Pakistan—Why Now?
Karamatullah K Ghori April 5, 2005
#148 Posted by CoolAL on April 9, 2005 8:14:28 pm
#147
Your gotta be kidding me.....Why would we even think of such a possibility? When we could easily run a land pipeline through Burma into Assam?
Also, do you really believe that SE Asia region has any potential for exporting gas to India? Assuming that they do have that kinda gas fields, why would they bother? They all border China and it will suck up what ever they can produce...
Your gotta be kidding me.....Why would we even think of such a possibility? When we could easily run a land pipeline through Burma into Assam?
Also, do you really believe that SE Asia region has any potential for exporting gas to India? Assuming that they do have that kinda gas fields, why would they bother? They all border China and it will suck up what ever they can produce...
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#147 Posted by vivek on April 9, 2005 7:51:20 pm
CoolAL,
An added possibility could be undersea pipeline from Malaysia.
An added possibility could be undersea pipeline from Malaysia.
#146 Posted by CoolAL on April 9, 2005 7:35:59 pm
#144
Look we need a pipeline. It could be an undersea pipe line starting from Oman to Gujrat completely by passing Pakistan or a lind-pipeline between Iran and India through Pakistan. I believe it would cost around $5 billion which is more than double what it would cost to lay a pipe from the South Pars field in Iran, across Baluchistan and Sindh into Gujarat or Rajasthan.
The nice thing about the undersea pipeline is once we build it, then we can use it to get Gas from not only from Iran and Oman but also from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar,Iraq, Kuwait as well as The Central Asian Republics. Getting gas from CARs would require another land pipe-line across Iran to the southern Coast. That is an eminent possibility. If that happens the biggest losers in this game will be the Pakistanis. The US companies are playing a major role in building this pipeline so the US has a major say in this. The US-Iran relationship is the fly in the ointment here. If we can somehow broker a relationship between Iran and the US. It will be a tremendous victory for everyone. Listening to Clinton speak at Davos recently brings a lot of optimism regarding the US-Iran relationship.
Look we need a pipeline. It could be an undersea pipe line starting from Oman to Gujrat completely by passing Pakistan or a lind-pipeline between Iran and India through Pakistan. I believe it would cost around $5 billion which is more than double what it would cost to lay a pipe from the South Pars field in Iran, across Baluchistan and Sindh into Gujarat or Rajasthan.
The nice thing about the undersea pipeline is once we build it, then we can use it to get Gas from not only from Iran and Oman but also from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar,Iraq, Kuwait as well as The Central Asian Republics. Getting gas from CARs would require another land pipe-line across Iran to the southern Coast. That is an eminent possibility. If that happens the biggest losers in this game will be the Pakistanis. The US companies are playing a major role in building this pipeline so the US has a major say in this. The US-Iran relationship is the fly in the ointment here. If we can somehow broker a relationship between Iran and the US. It will be a tremendous victory for everyone. Listening to Clinton speak at Davos recently brings a lot of optimism regarding the US-Iran relationship.
#144 Posted by vivek on April 9, 2005 7:09:46 pm
CoolAL,
The benefits of the pipeline are a bit overrated. The price coated is so high that it was reported that most companies including Reliance are unwilling to pay. If the pipeline prospects are still alive, then its due to the stupid pertroleum minister of ours.
The benefits of the pipeline are a bit overrated. The price coated is so high that it was reported that most companies including Reliance are unwilling to pay. If the pipeline prospects are still alive, then its due to the stupid pertroleum minister of ours.
#142 Posted by CoolAL on April 9, 2005 6:25:15 pm
Folks,
Just thinking out aloud....There is one more angle to this that you guys have not considered.
The US does not like Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline being built. They don`t like it because thay do not want Iran to prosper.
Now, I don`t like it either but that is because I would hate to hand a weapon to country if it was filled with nutcases like t-e-p. However, if the country was filled with arrogant fools like Manto instead, I may be able to work together for mutual benefit. I may not like him personally, but I am sure I will find him to be honorable in his business dealings and will be able to have a decent working relationship with him. Also, please note that the Baglihar dam would have offered the necessay counter to the I-P-I running through Pakistan. Both these would have prevented the other from doing something stupid and was very self stabilizing.
Therefore, the IPI pipeline could have been mutually beneficial to all three countries Iran, Pakistan and India. But more so to Pakistan than most. Iran and India can continue thir relationship via LNG tankers as they have been doing or build an undersea pipeline bypassing Pakistan completely when it becomes technologically as well as economically viable.
The IPI pipeline was being considered to bring fuel to run Powerplants. There are other ways to increase our power producing capabilities....I would also like India to start building 1000 MW reactors and raise our nuke power producing capacity to 25,000 MW by 2012. At the rate we are going, we have mastered 550 MW reactor building, the first commercial one went critical in Trombay this year. We have several 220 MW reactors in operation. We are getting two 1000 MW Russian reactors by next year. This will raise our Nuke power producing capacity to about 5000 MW. We have a looooong way to go and the US knows that. So they are offering civilian Nuke Power reactors AND technology transfer for basically abandoning the I-P-I pipeline for now. But based on our prior relationship with the US, I am highly sceptical that they would indeed provide the kind of help we need in the Civilian Nuke Technology arena.
On the other hand, this deal that the US is offering to India will deal Pakistan a double whammy. Not only will there be a loss of revenue from the IPI pipeline, but they will also lose the leverage that it would have given them to counter Baghlihar.
This deal the US is offering is too good to be true. India should seriously consider this option.
Just thinking out aloud....There is one more angle to this that you guys have not considered.
The US does not like Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline being built. They don`t like it because thay do not want Iran to prosper.
Now, I don`t like it either but that is because I would hate to hand a weapon to country if it was filled with nutcases like t-e-p. However, if the country was filled with arrogant fools like Manto instead, I may be able to work together for mutual benefit. I may not like him personally, but I am sure I will find him to be honorable in his business dealings and will be able to have a decent working relationship with him. Also, please note that the Baglihar dam would have offered the necessay counter to the I-P-I running through Pakistan. Both these would have prevented the other from doing something stupid and was very self stabilizing.
Therefore, the IPI pipeline could have been mutually beneficial to all three countries Iran, Pakistan and India. But more so to Pakistan than most. Iran and India can continue thir relationship via LNG tankers as they have been doing or build an undersea pipeline bypassing Pakistan completely when it becomes technologically as well as economically viable.
The IPI pipeline was being considered to bring fuel to run Powerplants. There are other ways to increase our power producing capabilities....I would also like India to start building 1000 MW reactors and raise our nuke power producing capacity to 25,000 MW by 2012. At the rate we are going, we have mastered 550 MW reactor building, the first commercial one went critical in Trombay this year. We have several 220 MW reactors in operation. We are getting two 1000 MW Russian reactors by next year. This will raise our Nuke power producing capacity to about 5000 MW. We have a looooong way to go and the US knows that. So they are offering civilian Nuke Power reactors AND technology transfer for basically abandoning the I-P-I pipeline for now. But based on our prior relationship with the US, I am highly sceptical that they would indeed provide the kind of help we need in the Civilian Nuke Technology arena.
On the other hand, this deal that the US is offering to India will deal Pakistan a double whammy. Not only will there be a loss of revenue from the IPI pipeline, but they will also lose the leverage that it would have given them to counter Baghlihar.
This deal the US is offering is too good to be true. India should seriously consider this option.
#145 Posted by taqat-e-parvaaz on April 9, 2005 7:24:23 pm
Re: # 142
calling me names will not get you anywhere. perhaps you should look around and see why i had to say what i did. control your fellow countrymen and it will not come to this. i was not the aggressor. i was just defending what i saw right. so stay out of this, otherwise my boot will be up your skinny ass as it already has been up your fellow baboons shri arjun and shri hashish`s. hahahaaa...
calling me names will not get you anywhere. perhaps you should look around and see why i had to say what i did. control your fellow countrymen and it will not come to this. i was not the aggressor. i was just defending what i saw right. so stay out of this, otherwise my boot will be up your skinny ass as it already has been up your fellow baboons shri arjun and shri hashish`s. hahahaaa...
#141 Posted by vivek on April 9, 2005 5:43:39 pm
arjun #140,
yep, like the 70000 people supposed to be killed in kashmir. Some deluded Pakistani collected the statistics in his dream, and today seems like all of Pakistani press believes it.
yep, like the 70000 people supposed to be killed in kashmir. Some deluded Pakistani collected the statistics in his dream, and today seems like all of Pakistani press believes it.
#150 Posted by taqat-e-parvaaz on April 9, 2005 9:34:15 pm
Re: # 141
here you go crack smoker. i even did the math for you at the end there, since i know your protein deficient mind wouldnt be able to handle such large numbers.....
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/816/
The UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (known as UNMOGIP) issued a press release on Tuesday Sep 16, 2003 calling on “the parties involved in the Kashmir issue to observe the “International Day of Peace” on September 21 and appeals to them to initiate a ceasefire and to do their best to prolong the duration of any cessation of hostilities for as long as possible. The conflict over Jammu and Kashmir has cost many lives, caused much tragedy and could, sadly, continue to affect the stability of the region for years to come. It is the UNMOGIP’s hope that the parties to the conflict will embrace this opportunity to lay down their arms and observe the International Day of Peace”, unquote. Coincidentally a senior US diplomat was visiting Srinagar when UNMOGIP issued this call, this combined to infuriate the Indians. On the other hand it gave heart to the freedom fighters within Kashmir that there was renewed western interest. Even though there has been far greater violence in Kashmir than in any other area in the world in the recent past, till Kargil came around in 1999 Kashmir was generally ignored by the western media, a benign neglect that glossed over decades of brutal Indian atrocities on the Kashmiri people. Kargil was a watershed that force-fed Kashmir back into international consciousness as well as media focus, the dispute is now seen by western powers as a major potential nuclear flashpoint.
The Indians have protested that UNMOGIP abused its authority by issuing their call and said they would take up the matter with the UN HQ in New York. For the record, UNMOGIP was set up in 1947-48 to monitor the Cease-Fire Line (CFL) that divided the opposing forces after the war that ensued when India occupied Kashmir by use of subterfuge and brute force. Elements of Kashmiri State and civil forces had combined with Pakistani irregulars to resist the blatant Indian occupation. India maintains that when the Line of Control (LOC) was delineated after the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the CFL ceased to exist and UNMOGIP became redundant. This is neither the understanding of either the UN HQ or of Pakistan, otherwise the Observer’s Group would have been wound up a long time ago. In addition the very name UNMOGIP suggests that it includes intervention on India – Pakistan issues. If India does not accept this, why was UNMOGIP created, as a coffee club? On the one hand India keeps claiming that infiltrators are crossing over to indulge in “cross-border terrorism”, on the other hand they refuse Pakistan requests to increase UNMOGIP surveillance by increasing the number of ground observers to stop the alleged infiltration, there has also been international suggestions for heliborne surveillance teams along the LOC.
It is no surprise that with its usual arrogance and obstinacy, India flatly rejected the UNMOGIP proposal. Though there were some reservations on the Pakistani side, in the greater interest of peace and tranquility in the region Pakistan’s reaction has been different. While maintaining that symbolic observance of the cease-fire has no virtually effect on the ground because of the obdurate Indian intransigence, Pakistan welcomed UNMOGIP proposal and said we would observe “International Peace Day” on Sep 21 in all sincerity. Look at the statistics for the period of one year since Sep 21, 2002, the last time the “International Peace Day” was observed. During this period of one year India has lobbed as many as 80000 artillery shells and 120000 mortar rounds into Azad Kashmir. The casualties on our side of the LOC have been heavy, other than uniformed personnel, 127 civilians have been killed and 499 wounded, a overwhelming number of these are children, the primary target of Indian attacks. There have been more than 200 violations by aerial Remote Powered Vehicles (RPVA). If we were to add up all the casualties due to the terrorist attacks within India during the period since Sep 21, 2002, that India blames on “Pakistan-based terrorists” the casualty figures are far less than those the Indians have inflicted in their ruthless artillery and mortar attacks in the past year. {And it is nothing compared to the average of about 7500 Kashmiris killed and about 25000 injured every year, year after year, by Indian occupation forces within Kashmir since 1989}.
7500*15 years=112500 casualties
here you go crack smoker. i even did the math for you at the end there, since i know your protein deficient mind wouldnt be able to handle such large numbers.....
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/816/
The UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (known as UNMOGIP) issued a press release on Tuesday Sep 16, 2003 calling on “the parties involved in the Kashmir issue to observe the “International Day of Peace” on September 21 and appeals to them to initiate a ceasefire and to do their best to prolong the duration of any cessation of hostilities for as long as possible. The conflict over Jammu and Kashmir has cost many lives, caused much tragedy and could, sadly, continue to affect the stability of the region for years to come. It is the UNMOGIP’s hope that the parties to the conflict will embrace this opportunity to lay down their arms and observe the International Day of Peace”, unquote. Coincidentally a senior US diplomat was visiting Srinagar when UNMOGIP issued this call, this combined to infuriate the Indians. On the other hand it gave heart to the freedom fighters within Kashmir that there was renewed western interest. Even though there has been far greater violence in Kashmir than in any other area in the world in the recent past, till Kargil came around in 1999 Kashmir was generally ignored by the western media, a benign neglect that glossed over decades of brutal Indian atrocities on the Kashmiri people. Kargil was a watershed that force-fed Kashmir back into international consciousness as well as media focus, the dispute is now seen by western powers as a major potential nuclear flashpoint.
The Indians have protested that UNMOGIP abused its authority by issuing their call and said they would take up the matter with the UN HQ in New York. For the record, UNMOGIP was set up in 1947-48 to monitor the Cease-Fire Line (CFL) that divided the opposing forces after the war that ensued when India occupied Kashmir by use of subterfuge and brute force. Elements of Kashmiri State and civil forces had combined with Pakistani irregulars to resist the blatant Indian occupation. India maintains that when the Line of Control (LOC) was delineated after the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the CFL ceased to exist and UNMOGIP became redundant. This is neither the understanding of either the UN HQ or of Pakistan, otherwise the Observer’s Group would have been wound up a long time ago. In addition the very name UNMOGIP suggests that it includes intervention on India – Pakistan issues. If India does not accept this, why was UNMOGIP created, as a coffee club? On the one hand India keeps claiming that infiltrators are crossing over to indulge in “cross-border terrorism”, on the other hand they refuse Pakistan requests to increase UNMOGIP surveillance by increasing the number of ground observers to stop the alleged infiltration, there has also been international suggestions for heliborne surveillance teams along the LOC.
It is no surprise that with its usual arrogance and obstinacy, India flatly rejected the UNMOGIP proposal. Though there were some reservations on the Pakistani side, in the greater interest of peace and tranquility in the region Pakistan’s reaction has been different. While maintaining that symbolic observance of the cease-fire has no virtually effect on the ground because of the obdurate Indian intransigence, Pakistan welcomed UNMOGIP proposal and said we would observe “International Peace Day” on Sep 21 in all sincerity. Look at the statistics for the period of one year since Sep 21, 2002, the last time the “International Peace Day” was observed. During this period of one year India has lobbed as many as 80000 artillery shells and 120000 mortar rounds into Azad Kashmir. The casualties on our side of the LOC have been heavy, other than uniformed personnel, 127 civilians have been killed and 499 wounded, a overwhelming number of these are children, the primary target of Indian attacks. There have been more than 200 violations by aerial Remote Powered Vehicles (RPVA). If we were to add up all the casualties due to the terrorist attacks within India during the period since Sep 21, 2002, that India blames on “Pakistan-based terrorists” the casualty figures are far less than those the Indians have inflicted in their ruthless artillery and mortar attacks in the past year. {And it is nothing compared to the average of about 7500 Kashmiris killed and about 25000 injured every year, year after year, by Indian occupation forces within Kashmir since 1989}.
7500*15 years=112500 casualties
#140 Posted by arjun_m on April 9, 2005 11:04:41 am
#138 by vivek on April 9, 2005 10:15am PT
t-e-p is one of the modern day Goebbels that Pakistan seems to have in significant numbers
The idea of propaganda isn`t to fool youself....
conjuring up myths to keep the average paki would be propaganda....this is just self-delusion...it`s common among pakis, from the average jihadi like t-e-p to the prez/dictator...remember him telling abdul paki how pakiland was ahead of india in satellite technology because they rented a defective hughes satellite..that`s not propaganda...pakis actually believe that shit...just like captain clueless wasn`t BSing when he told everyone to wear a t-shirt with a paki flag if you wanted to be safe in the US post-9/11...he actually believes that....
t-e-p is one of the modern day Goebbels that Pakistan seems to have in significant numbers
The idea of propaganda isn`t to fool youself....
conjuring up myths to keep the average paki would be propaganda....this is just self-delusion...it`s common among pakis, from the average jihadi like t-e-p to the prez/dictator...remember him telling abdul paki how pakiland was ahead of india in satellite technology because they rented a defective hughes satellite..that`s not propaganda...pakis actually believe that shit...just like captain clueless wasn`t BSing when he told everyone to wear a t-shirt with a paki flag if you wanted to be safe in the US post-9/11...he actually believes that....
#139 Posted by arjun_m on April 9, 2005 11:01:13 am
#133 by taqat-e-parvaaz on April 8, 2005 9:56pm PT
you army couldnt even keep up! SSG commandos were so deep in your territory and were causing such heavy damage,
And the nazis were outside leningrad...what`s your point?
bottom line...India controls the Kargil heights...as it controls siachen...you don`t have squat...
you tried a reverse siachen and got your head handed to you...which is why nawaz rushed uninvited to DC, on the 4th of july....
only a dumb paki like you will believe that the PM of the country that was winning would make such a desperate plea...
keep chanting the slogan ``Kashmir banega Pakistan``....we`ll see if it does you any good....
you army couldnt even keep up! SSG commandos were so deep in your territory and were causing such heavy damage,
And the nazis were outside leningrad...what`s your point?
bottom line...India controls the Kargil heights...as it controls siachen...you don`t have squat...
you tried a reverse siachen and got your head handed to you...which is why nawaz rushed uninvited to DC, on the 4th of july....
only a dumb paki like you will believe that the PM of the country that was winning would make such a desperate plea...
keep chanting the slogan ``Kashmir banega Pakistan``....we`ll see if it does you any good....
#138 Posted by vivek on April 9, 2005 10:15:28 am
rshridhar,
t-e-p is one of the modern day Goebbels that Pakistan seems to have in significant numbers. Their philosophy is simple - bullshit a 1000 times, and ultimately they start believing their own crap.
t-e-p is one of the modern day Goebbels that Pakistan seems to have in significant numbers. Their philosophy is simple - bullshit a 1000 times, and ultimately they start believing their own crap.
#137 Posted by vivek on April 9, 2005 10:06:52 am
rshridhar,
Don`t waste your time and energy on a loony.
Don`t waste your time and energy on a loony.
#136 Posted by rsridhar on April 9, 2005 9:44:03 am
re: taqat-e-parvaaz
Poem:
``Taqat-e-parvaaz
akl-e-naasaaz
kar raha hai chok mein
behisaab bakwaas
Taqat-e-parvaaz
chor, luccha aur jaal-saaz
kameena-e-gaandu-e-gulzar
kar raha hai chowk mein
badtameezi behizaab``
My own feeble attempt at some Urdu poetry.
Guys, feel free to join in.
Sridhar
Poem:
``Taqat-e-parvaaz
akl-e-naasaaz
kar raha hai chok mein
behisaab bakwaas
Taqat-e-parvaaz
chor, luccha aur jaal-saaz
kameena-e-gaandu-e-gulzar
kar raha hai chowk mein
badtameezi behizaab``
My own feeble attempt at some Urdu poetry.
Guys, feel free to join in.
Sridhar
#143 Posted by taqat-e-parvaaz on April 9, 2005 7:08:09 pm
Re: # 136
funny coming from a bony veggie samosa eater as yourself. the problem with all you guys is that you`ve always underestimated pakistan. and quite frankly, once you do that, you`ve not only lost the battle, you`ve lost the war. you and your boyfriends vivek and shri arjun cannot stand the concept of a pakistan. it ruins your crazy hindutva policies of an `akhand bharat.` to pursue this dream, india will go to any lengths, even thinking itself a superpower capable of producing jet engines, all of which eventually fall out of the air like birdshit into the shit hole we all call india! so go ahead, make your lame attempts at urdu poetry.
#140
as i`ve already said, i am not sure who you think is deluded. its not pakistan that dreams itself a superpower when it has 300 million poor people lying naked on the streets of calcutta and bihar. its not pakistan that thinks it can produce tanks and then waste hundreds of millions of rupees in state taxes, and then stupidly try to make a jet engine for its pathetic LCA and nearly kill the pilot inside of it because the engine blew up!! perhaps you should buy a dictionary shri arjun and look up `deluded.` your george bush complex of using words you clearly do not know is not the best of ideas.
funny coming from a bony veggie samosa eater as yourself. the problem with all you guys is that you`ve always underestimated pakistan. and quite frankly, once you do that, you`ve not only lost the battle, you`ve lost the war. you and your boyfriends vivek and shri arjun cannot stand the concept of a pakistan. it ruins your crazy hindutva policies of an `akhand bharat.` to pursue this dream, india will go to any lengths, even thinking itself a superpower capable of producing jet engines, all of which eventually fall out of the air like birdshit into the shit hole we all call india! so go ahead, make your lame attempts at urdu poetry.
#140
as i`ve already said, i am not sure who you think is deluded. its not pakistan that dreams itself a superpower when it has 300 million poor people lying naked on the streets of calcutta and bihar. its not pakistan that thinks it can produce tanks and then waste hundreds of millions of rupees in state taxes, and then stupidly try to make a jet engine for its pathetic LCA and nearly kill the pilot inside of it because the engine blew up!! perhaps you should buy a dictionary shri arjun and look up `deluded.` your george bush complex of using words you clearly do not know is not the best of ideas.
#135 Posted by HisExcellency on April 9, 2005 4:09:49 am
#121 by tahmed32
``As long as a single child goes hungry in Pakistan, as long as a single sick person goes without medical treatment, it is contrary to the ``national interest`` for Pakistan to spend more than absolutely necessary for ensuring Pakistan`s defense``
You do have a point there. A significant segment of Pakistan intelligentsia subscribes to this view. But there is another significant counter-argument to your point: Governments are responsible for defense as well as education/health. Govt should spend most of its budget on infrastructure, mega projects, defense and debt servicing instead of crowding out private investment in education/health. Govt should regulate the education/health sectors and give tax incentives.
``As for the long run that you mention, the only long run goal is peace and not unnecessary weapons``
Sometimes weapons ensure peace and weakness encourages wars like 1971.
``As long as a single child goes hungry in Pakistan, as long as a single sick person goes without medical treatment, it is contrary to the ``national interest`` for Pakistan to spend more than absolutely necessary for ensuring Pakistan`s defense``
You do have a point there. A significant segment of Pakistan intelligentsia subscribes to this view. But there is another significant counter-argument to your point: Governments are responsible for defense as well as education/health. Govt should spend most of its budget on infrastructure, mega projects, defense and debt servicing instead of crowding out private investment in education/health. Govt should regulate the education/health sectors and give tax incentives.
``As for the long run that you mention, the only long run goal is peace and not unnecessary weapons``
Sometimes weapons ensure peace and weakness encourages wars like 1971.
#134 Posted by taqat-e-parvaaz on April 8, 2005 10:05:52 pm
yummmmmyyyy..........400 indian soldiers put of their shame for serving the indian army! they must be thanking pakistan now!! hahahaa.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1703495.stm
Coffin scandal rages in India
Protesters in Delhi demand resignation of Fernandes
Kashmir is a hugely sensitive issue in India
The Indian parliament was adjourned on Wednesday for the second day running as the opposition demanded the resignation of Defence Minister George Fernandes over an army coffin scandal.
Both houses of parliament were adjourned over the affair which centres on a report that the government paid vastly inflated sums for coffins for soldiers killed in Kashmir in 1999.
Nobody will forgive those involved for having purchased coffins that had to be subsequently rejected (HAHAHAHAHAAAA)
Indian state radio
Not only were the 500 aluminium coffins overpriced, but the US-based supplier failed to meet Indian specifications. (THATS WHAT YOU GET FOR TRUSTING YOUR `STRATEGIC PARTNER`)
Soldiers killed fighting separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir are regarded as martyrs by many Indians and opposition deputies shouted down the government with cries of ``coffin thieves``.
``Nobody will forgive those involved for having purchased coffins that had to be subsequently rejected,`` Indian state radio commented on Wednesday.
Mr Fernandes only returned as defence minister in October after being forced out of office over a scandal over weapons purchases.
He has refused to resign, saying he has asked the US company for a refund
Public anger
More than 400 Indian soldiers were killed in the 1999 conflict which began when Islamic militants infiltrated the Kargil sector of Kashmir from Pakistan.
A report in The Times of India newspaper says the Comptroller and Auditor General found that the government had paid an American company $2,500 for each of the 500 coffins.
Indian troops
The fighting in Kashmir continues with one militant reported killed on Wednesday
But five years earlier, it had only paid $172 per coffin.
Moreover, many of the coffins were never used, being rejected as too heavy.
``What is really shocking is that the coffins of the martyrs were bought at an exorbitant price,`` said the chief whip of the opposition Congress Party, Pryaranjan Dasmunshi.
``They have no right to stay in office, until the prime minister explains to the house.``
For Indian radio, the anger of opposition deputies was a genuine reflection of public feeling:
``The mood of the parliamentarians amply reflected the shock and anger faced by each and every Indian on these sordid revelations.``
Ministry`s reply
The Defence Ministry says it had to buy aluminium coffins so that the bodies of Indian soldiers could be sent home in a dignified manner.
It said that an order for 500 coffins was made with the company Buitron and Baize to be delivered in consignments.
When the first batch of coffins was delivered, it was discovered to be sub-standard and that led to the cancellation of the order for the remaining 350.
The Ministry of Defence says the company was in breach of contract and is asking for some of its money back.
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