December 24, 2001	Monday	Shawwal 8, 1422

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LOS ANGELES, Dec 23: Pakistan government is actively looking to establish a “rapid strike force” on its international borders with Afghanistan and India to curb smuggling, trafficking and cross-border terrorism, Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro said.

“We are also in talks with the US government and it is assisting us in setting up the force,” said Mr Soomro on Friday night here on his way to Washington D.C.

Mr Soomro, who described his visit as personal, said Pakistan was facing tremendous pressure from the US to strengthen its borders and curb infiltration of terrorists from Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan had already given its full support on war on terrorism but it had told the US that Islamabad needed, besides the manpower, helicopters, radars and scanners and most of all a “rapid strike force.”

The governor said the talks for obtaining $900 million aid from the US was in advance stage, adding, some portion of the aid would be used in establishing the force while most of it would go in improving the infrastructure of the social sector.

Mr Soomro, a banker by profession, was invited by a select gathering at a dinner meeting by leading West Coast Pakistani American entrepreneurs under the umbrella of Council of Pakistani American Association (COPAA).

On increasing border tension with India, Mr Soomro dismissed the possibility of a war, saying Pakistan was fully alert to answer any misadventure.

He said Pakistan was behaving in a very mature manner and one example was its decision on diplomatic front by not recalling its ambassador to from India to avoid more tension.

On a question about the killing of brother of Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider on Friday, he said he came to know about it just now, saying he had already given necessary instructions in this regard and was keeping himself up to date on the matter.

However, he said the overall law and order situation in the province had improved a lot in terms of ethnic and sectarian tensions, though carjackings and robberies were still issues be checked for which the province was undertaking measures.

Among the prominent Pakistanis attended the meeting were: Ahmed Ali, President of COPAA; Dr Sohail Masood, President and CEO of Crescent Healthcare Inc; Pervaiz Lodhie, President of LEDTRONICS, Iinc.; Firoze A. Fakhri, a leading textile trader; and Khalid Pervaiz, Senior Vice President of Prudential Securities.