‘Pak will match India weapons’

Pakistan today said it would do whatever it could to get matching weapons systems in the event of India acquiring armaments following its 10-year defence pact with the US, but that it would not join an arms race.

‘‘Pakistan will get anything required for its defence but will not join any arms race,’’ Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters here.

‘‘Pakistan is interested that resources be used for education, health and infrastructure development in South Asia,’’ he added.

While Aziz made no reference to India’s likely acquisition of the Patriot Missile Defence Systems from the US, his remarks pointed to his government’s endeavour to ensure a credible defence for the country.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and its Ambassador to Washington Jehangir Karamat had earlier said that the new Indo-US defence pact would disturb the balance of power in the region and spur an arms race.

ISLAMABAD: As the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) granted Russia observer status during its foreign ministerial meet in Yemen this week, hardline outfit Jamaat-e-Islami slammed the Pakistan government for its tacit backing to the move.

‘‘If Russia has been admitted today on the plea that it has a sizeable Muslim community, then on what grounds can India’s and Israel’s claims to gatecrash the OIC be checked?’’ asked Jamaat deputy chief Khurshid Ahmed. Russia is the first non-Islamic state to be admitted to the 52-member Islamic bloc.

Pakistan has consistently blocked efforts by several OIC nations to grant India membership to the group, saying only proclaimed Islamic states should be eligible. —PTI

"‘Pak will match India weapons’"

Instead of wasting resources on buying expensive and useless stuff from china , Pak will be well advised to spend its meagre resources on feeding its poor!!!

2 posted on 07/02/2005 11:30:14 PM PDT by backhoe (Just an old Keyboard Cowboy, ridin' the trackball into the Sunset...)

A telling political cartoon I saw shortly after they got the bomb said it all. It showed a couple of donkey carts with bombs being paraded through a village of obviously starving peasants. The priorities of the Turd World never cease to amaze me.

3 posted on 07/03/2005 12:44:58 AM PDT by commonasdirt (Reading DU so you won't hafta)

Ping!

4 posted on 07/03/2005 3:10:34 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)

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