NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 (APP) Indian Air Force Vice Chief Air Marshal P K Barbora while complaining against Indian political class for playing politics on military requirements said “as far as defence goes, we don’t even match up with Pakistan.”Playing politics over defence purchases impinged “very badly” on the country’s military requirements,” he told a CII seminar on energising aviation sector in India.

 P K Barbora while expressing dissatisfaction also about India’s Defence exports said, “as far as defence goes, we don’t even match up with Pakistan.”“The internal politics over the years is such that whatever defence requirements are cleared by the government, they are opposed by the opposition parties and the same happens when roles change and opposition sits in government, “ he said.

Barbora’s observations on Tuesday about recruitment of women pilots in IAF also generated heated debate in the media.

 He had said “they may be recruited as fighter pilots provided they do not become mother till a certain age.” He also suggested that having woman pilots in IAF may be a bad investment for the government.

 Today, he said he did not mean that what had been debated in the media over his remarks saying those were his personal views and not the policy of the Ministry of Defence.