Do not read too much into it as people here are dreaming about retractable IFR probes (not happening), AESA (not happening from the START at least), IRST (not likely) more hard points for weapon systems (not likely)..
I think most important factor is cost
these things cost alot and PAF has to decide when and how many AESA equipped systems they can afford.
they need decide on usefulness of Pod vs an inbuilt IRST as well(again cost). than there is the question of airforce size (150 vs 250 thunders)
though i am still not sure why cannot another 1 or 2 hard-points be added under the fuselage especially under air intakes
personally I think PAF needs to forgo any spending on importing a new system and focus on getting AESA and IRST in these system, will be costly, but it has to, as even the LCAs will come with AESA equipped systems
alot will depend how much pak army can contain its "other" spending and realize that no amount of artillery or armored cores are useful without an airforce that can atleast deny air superiority to the opposition
army needs to become thinner, leaner and modernized
i personally never thought that SD 10 will work with Italian radar it had to be either full European package with BVRs or southafrican SRAAM/BVRs or a full Chinese system
SD 10 is most advance weapon Chinese are fielding, i doubt they would even export latest versions to anyone else besides pakistan, let alone allow code sharing