LONDON: Saudi Arabia and Tran have offered a squadron of aircraft to Pakistan in an emergency, western media reports said on Tuesday.

Iran also had offered the use of its airspace to Pakistani planes in case of a war with India, the reports said.

“The Independent” reporting from Lahore said in the 1965 war with India, Pakistani civilian aircraft and bombers were based in eastern Iran.”

The Pakistani military it said, has excellent relations with Iran and Saudi Arabia and Pakistani air force personnel serve in both countries,

Benazir Bhutto during her tour of 12 Islamic nations, beginning on Tuesday, to drum up support for Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, the reports said, would also seek military support from the Islamic block.

Bhutto is visiting Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, North Yemen, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia in the first part of her trip and then travel to Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain in the first week of June, in what is being viewed in media circles here as Islamabad’s first attempt to internationalize the Kashmir issue.

Barring Iran, all other Islamic countries have called for restraint and favored a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue through bilateral negotiations in the spirit of Shimla agreement.

Media circles here are surprised at Bhutto encouraging a delegation of the opposition fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami to visit Islamic countries.

WAGHA: Indian security officials have protested to their Pakistani counterparts over increased armed intrusions and smuggling of firearms from their country.

The Indian officials also rejected Islamabad’s “concern” over erection of steel towers by India as border observatory posts along the 554 km Indo Pakistan border in Punjab at a bi-annual meeting of the security officials of the two countries.

Inspector general of Border Security Force Jalandhar range, Prakash Singh who led the Indian team, at the meeting said Tuesday armed instructions from across the border was one of four sensitive

The other issues included border pillars, flag meetings and infiltration of Bangladeshis, he said.

The Pakistani side was headed by Major General Naseer Ahmed. Khan, director general Pakistan rangers.

Mr. Prakash Singh said Indian security officials did not agree with Pakistan’s argument that they were not aware of the armed intrusion.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 11, 1990