British plans to sell jets to India flayed

Pakistan yesterday slammed British plans to sell warplanes to India, saying the move would trigger an arms race in the region.

"This will disturb regional balance and start an arms race," foreign office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told a press briefing in response to a question on reports that Britain would sell 66 military jets to India.

Pakistan will be compelled to "take action to increase our defence capabilities accordingly," the spokesman said.

He criticised the Indian government's "diversion of resources" to arms purchases instead of utilising the funds to improve the lot of the poor people.

Asked about Pakistan's prospects for securing F-16 aircraft from the U.S. and release of spare parts for such planes already in service with its air force, the spokesman said Washington had lifted the sanctions.

The Pakistan-U.S. defence consulative gorup had been revived and it would meet in the near future, he said, adding that the country's requirements were being examined on a case-by-case basis.

He added that the resumption of suspended work by France on the construction of Agosta submarines in Pakistan was discussed with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin during his weekend visit to Islamabad.

The spokesman said the French would resume work on the project but a date for that was still to be decided between the two sides.

The project suffered a setback because of the May 8 bombing in the port city of Karachi in which 11 French technicians and three Pakistanis were killed.

To a question on the planned September-October elections in Indian-adminstered Kashmir, the spokesman said Pakistan's position was clear, that such polls could not be a substitute for a plebiscite promised in UN resolutions on the issue.

He disagreed with a journalist who said major powers appeared to be supporting the elections and the Indian viewpoint.