ISLAMABAD: Ignoring India’s assertion that the Agni missile test is a technology demonstration Pakistani Defence Production Minister Hazar Khan Bajrani has described the test as “threat to the neighboring countries”
It has created “military imbalance in the region” and posed security problems for Pakistan Bajrani said in an interview.
“Pakistan will not sit idle and we will try to effectively deal with the situation.”
Bajrani said Pakistan had successfully tested the accuracy of Hataf missile whose range had been increased to 150 km.
Pakistan has decided to take the friendly countries in the region to confidence on India’s military potential he added.
Replying to a question Bajrani said since the sale of F-16s to Pakistan was stopped Islamabad would try to contact other countries to meet the requirements of its air force. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif might visit Moscow and discuss the purchase of MIG-19 and S U 27 aircraft from Russia he said.
Khan said that Pakistan wanted to focus its discussion with India on five issues biological weapons chemical weapons nuclear weapons missile technology and overall conventional defence forces.
He said that during the fifth round of talks between India and Pakistan in Islamabad in October last “some progress” had been made on the issue of biological and chemical weapons. However he said that there was “no progress” on the nuclear issue.
“We want to address ourselves to the missile issue and hope to reduce threat to the region” the Pakistan Foreign Secretary said
Regarding the situation in Serbia and alleged hostilities towards the Muslim population Khan said that Islamabad in response to a call by the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Countries had decided to recall its ambassador from Belgrade
On Afghanistan Khan said that Pakistan believed in non-interference in the internal affairs of that country but was concerned about the renewed fighting in in Kabul.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 19, 1992
