'Sir, ours is a small fleet of aircraft'

Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major and the Pakistani Air Attache had a sober exchange of words in New Delhi on Thursday.

Responding to a media person's query if India was concerned over Pakistan recently upgrading US-made F-16 fighters, Major, who was delivering a lecture, deftly avoided controversy saying: "The Pakistani Air attache present here will be the best person to reply to the question."

Even as the audience broke into laughter, Pakistani Air attache quickly responded: "Sir, ours is a small fleet. I do not think any nation need to be concerned about it."

The exchange concluded with a good round of hearty laugh from one and all present, much to the relief of the organisers who clearly did not want a repeat of Wednesday evening's unsavoury moments.

During Wednesdays' lecture by Kapoor, his reference to ISI's involvement in the recent Indian embassy bombing in Kabul had led to the Pakistan Defence attache breaching protocol and instantly getting up to contradict the Army chief.

Brigadier Mohammad Iqbal sprang on his feet to counter General Kapoor saying no proof had been made available even a month after the suicide bomb attack.