October 24, 2001	Wednesday	Shaba'an 6, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: Pakistan on Tuesday contacted India to express its grave concern over the large scale movement of its artillery and troops along the Line of Control (LoC), a military spokesman said.

Pakistan’s Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart on the hotline on Tuesday to express Pakistan’s deep concern about the unusual Indian troop movement.

The contact is understood to have been arranged in the backdrop of large scale movement of Indian troops on LoC. Military sources said that Indian army had moved heavy artillery and mortar guns during the last few days and brought them to the forward positions on the LoC.

The Inter Services Public Relations Directorate said that Pakistan armed forces had taken necessary precautionary measures keeping in view the unusual movements by the Indian armed forces in the last few days.

Meanwhile, President Gen Pervez Musharraf reaffirmed on Tuesday Pakistan’s determination to defend its sovereignty and independence and thwart any aggression.

Presiding over a special session of the National Command Authority (NCA), the President said that Pakistan’s strategic assets were the cornerstone of the country’s national security and, by the grace of Almighty Allah, there was no question of any compromise on the nuclear programme.

Dismissing negative speculations regarding safety and security of strategic assets, the President said that he had reassured the world leaders that the strategic capability was fully safeguarded and there existed no possibility whatsoever of its falling into the wrong hands.

The meeting of the highest controlling authority of Pakistan’s nuclear assets took a number of decisions on strategic matters and was attended by the foreign minister, interior minister, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, services chiefs, senior scientists and other senior military officers.