PAKISTAN EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN OVER INDIA''S TEST OF BRAHMOS MISSILE

PAKISTAN EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN OVER INDIA'S TEST OF BRAHMOS MISSILE ISLAMABAD, APRIL 29 (KUNA) -- PAKISTAN MONDAY TOOK SERIOUS NOTE OF THE ANNOUNCED TEST FLIGHT OF BRAHMOS MISSILE BY INDIA WHICH IT HAS DEVELOPED WITH THE COOPERATION OF RUSSIA.
"INTRODUCTION OF THIS NEW WEAPON SYSTEM WILL AGGRAVATE THE EXISTING BALANCE IN THE REGION AND FURTHER ENCOURAGE INDIA IN ITS HEGEMONIC DESIGNS," FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN AZIZ AHMED KHAN SAID AT A NEWS BRIEFING HERE.
KHAN SAID, "IT SHOULD ALSO BE A MATTER OF DEEP CONCERN THAT THIS COOPERATION IS CLEAR VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATION OF RUSSIA AS A MEMBER OF MTCR (MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME)." A REPORT, QUOTING PRESS TRUST OF INDIA, SAID INDIA ON SUNDAY (APRIL 28) SUCCESSFULLY TESTED A SUPERSONIC CRUISE MISSILE WITH A RANGE OF 300 KILOMETERS.
THE BRAHMOS MISSILE WAS EXPECTED TO BE DEPLOYED BY THE INDIAN ARMY IN 2004.
THE MISSILE WAS BEING DEVELOPED IN A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN INDIA'S DEFENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION AND RUSSIA'S MASHINOSTROYENIA - BOTH STATE-RUN COMPANIES.
KHAN REITERATED PAKISTAN'S COMMITMENT TO ITS POLICY OF RESTRAINT AND RESPONSIBILITY AND OPPOSITION TO AN ARMS RACE IN THE REGION.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, "PAKISTAN WILL TAKE ALL NECESSARY STEPS TO ENSURE STRONG DEFENCE CAPABILITY TO DETER ANY AGGRESSIVE DESIGN AGAINST OUR SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY." "WE HAVE ALSO ALWAYS IMPRESSED UPON MAJOR POWERS TO REFRAIN FROM POLICIES AND MEASURES THAT WOULD DE-STABILIZE THE REGION," HE ADDED.
RESPONDING TO A QUESTION, ABOUT THE VIOLATIVE NATURE OF THIS TEST, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT MTCR PROHIBITED DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN MISSILE TECHNOLOGY AND PASSING OF MISSILE TECHNOLOGY AND "THIS PARTICULAR TEST AND COOPERATION IS IN VIOLATION OF THAT TREATY." ASKED WHO WOULD MOVE TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTION AGAINST THIS VIOLATION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE MEMBER OF MTCR SHOULD DO THAT.
AS FAR AS PAKISTAN WAS CONCERNED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IT HAD NEVER VIOLATED THE PROVISIONS OR DONE ANYTHING WHICH WAS AGAINST THE PROVISIONS OF THE MTCR.
"PAKISTAN WILL TAKE ALL MEASURES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO ENSURE ITS DEFENCE CAPABILITY," HE, HOWEVER, STRESSED. (MORE) -- RESPONDING TO A QUESTION, THE FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE SITUATION ON THE PAKISTAN-INDIA BORDER AND ON THE LOC REMAINED UNCHANGED.
ASKED WHAT THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD DONE TO REDUCE TENSION BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, THEY HAD EXPRESSED THEIR OPINION AND ASKED FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FORCES.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, HE SAID, HAD CALLED FOR A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES TO RESOLVE ALL THE OUTSTANDING DISPUTES INCLUDING THE CORE KASHMIR ISSUE.
"WE HAVE WELCOMED IT AS IT SUPPORTS PAKISTAN'S POINT OF VIEW," HE SAID AND ADDED THAT PAKISTAN HAD BEEN CONSTANTLY REMINDING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OVER THE INDIAN INTRANSIGENCE IN THIS RESPECT.
THE SPOKESMAN, WHILE RESPONDING TO A QUESTION, ONCE AGAIN SAID THAT THERE WAS NO FOREIGN TROOPS OPERATING FROM PAKISTAN'S SOIL.
THIS FACT HAD ALSO BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY US GENERAL TOMMY FRANK RECENTLY, HE ADDED.
PAKISTAN'S COOPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION, HE SAID, REMAINED CONFINED TO THE AREAS AGREED BETWEEN THEM.
THE PRESENCE OF SOME FBI PERSONNEL IN PAKISTAN WAS PART OF THAT AGREEMENT WITH REGARD TO INTELLIGENCE SHARING, HE ADDED. THE FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN, WHILE RESPONDING TO A QUERY ABOUT THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN, SAID THE SECURITY SITUATION IN CERTAIN AREAS WAS NOT STILL AS GOOD AS IT DESIRED TO BE.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, THE INTERIM AFGHAN AUTHORITY WAS TAKING ALL MEASURES TO BRING STABILITY AND PEACE IN THE COUNTRY.
PAKISTAN, HE SAID, HAD MAINTAINED THAT THE BONN AGREEMENT WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN BRINGING ABOUT DURABLE PEACE TO THAT COUNTRY.
"WE HAVE SUPPORTED THE BONN AGREEMENT AND THE AFGHAN'S INTERIM AUTHORITY," HE SAID WHILE ADDING, THE CONVENING OF LOYA JIRGA WAS IMPLEMENTATION OF ANOTHER STEP OF THE BONN AGREEMENT.
HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME DURABLE PEACE WOULD RETURN TO AFGHANISTAN WHICH, HE SAID, WAS NOT ONLY GOOD FOR ITSELF BUT THE ENTIRE REGION.
TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE IMPRISONED PAKISTANIS IN AFGHANISTAN, HE SAID, A BATCH OF 30 DETAINEE HAD RETURNED AND ISLAMABAD'S EMBASSY WAS IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH THE AFGHAN AUTHORITY IN THIS RESPECT. MORE -- WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE UNABATED RIOTS IN THE INDIAN STATE OF GUJRAT, THE SPOKESMAN DESCRIBED IT AS "DEPLORABLE".
HE DREW THE ATTENTION TOWARDS THE STRONG CRITICISM OF THE RIOTS BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND HOPED THAT THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE MEASURES TO RESTRAIN THE COMMUNAL FORCES AND GUARANTEE THE SECURITY OF THE MUSLIMS.
TO A QUESTION ON THE REFERENDUM, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT AFTER THE JUDGEMENT OF THE SUPREME COURT, ALL DOUBTS HAVE BEEN CLEARED.
"AFTER THE DECISION, NO DOUBT SHOULD BE LEFT IN ANYBODY'S MIND, HE ADDED.
HE SAID, "THE ROADMAP HAD ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND STRICTLY FOLLOWED AND ELECTIONS TO THE NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES ARE GOING TO BE HELD ON SCHEDULE AS GIVEN IN THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION," HE ADDED.
"THE ROADMAP IS BEING IMPLEMENTED AND NOBODY HAS EXPRESSED DISSATISFACTION IN THIS REGARD," HE ADDED.
ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH, HE SAID, "AS SOON AS PAKISTAN IMPLEMENTS THE ROADMAP, THE QUESTION OF RE-ENTRY WILL BE EXAMINED." HE SAID, THIS DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN BY THE COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES LONG TIME AGO AND "THERE WAS NO REASON TO BE OVERLY WORRIED ABOUT THESE ISSUES." THE RE-ENTRY INTO COMMONWEALTH, HE SAID, WAS RELATED TO THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY AND THE PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT WAS FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM EXACTLY AS WAS ANNOUNCED.
RESPONDING TO A QUESTION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID NO CONCERN HAD BEEN EXPRESSED AS FAR AS HOLDING OF REFERENDUM WAS CONCERNED. "REFERENDUM IS AN INTERNAL MATTER OF PAKISTAN," HE ADDED.
AS FAR AS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ROADMAP TO DEMOCRACY WAS CONCERNED, KHAN SAID, "IT IS BEING FOLLOWED FAITHFULLY AND THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANYBODY TO EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION." TO ANOTHER QUESTION, KHAN SAID HE DID NOT THINK IF ANYBODY WAS GOING TO MONITOR THE REFERENDUM.
TO A QUESTION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THERE WAS NO INQUIRY BEING UNDERTAKEN INTO THE SALE OF PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN OFFICE PROPERTY IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA.
HE SAID PAKISTAN OWNED THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE AND THE CHANCERY BUILDING AND A PRINCIPLED DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN WITH REGARD TO ITS SALE AND BUYING NEW RESIDENCE FROM THE SALE PROCEEDS. HE FURTHER INFORMED THAT THE CHANCERY BUILDING HAD ALREADY BEEN SOLD AND A GOVERNMENT TEAM HAD GONE TO INDONESIA TO SEE THE SALE DEED AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE APPROVAL THE BUILDING HAD BEEN SOLD.
RESPONDING TO A QUESTION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT NO DATE HAS YET BEEN FIXED FOR THE MEETING OF US-PAK DEFENCE CONSULTATIVE GROUP. (END) SJA.MAB KUNA 292003 Apr 02NNNN