June 26, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 25,1424

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MULTAN, June 25: Pakistan will not depend on one country to fulfil its security and defence needs, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali said here on Wednesday.

He told a press conference that if the United States refused to give F-16 fighter planes, the country would buy compatible planes from other countries, including France.

He said the people had pinned high hopes on President Pervez Musharraf’s current visit to America. “People have yet to comprehend the working of Gen Musharraf, which I have understood within a short span of time.”

The PM said America wanted a long-standing relationship with Pakistan, and winning of an aid package of $3 billion was no less an achievement. He recalled that the US had earlier waived $1 billion debt.

To a question, he said his authority as chief executive of the country was not eroded with Gen Musharraf conducting the high-profile foreign trips. He said he knew that people raised the point that President Musharraf did not include any member of his (premier’s) cabinet in his foreign tours “but they forget that Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz is also a member of my cabinet”.

He said it was more important to realize who could better plead the country’s case at a particular forum. He added that President Musharraf had been in constant touch with the Bush administration over the last three years. “On the other hand, I have not (even) seen Mr Bush,” the PM remarked. “Moreover, I am a Faqir Mansh (contented man)”.

He strongly dispelled rumours that Pakistan was about to accept Israel as a state, saying: “It will not happen, nor will the country’s atomic programme be rolled back.”

The prime minister said that a resumption of air and road links with India had been decided in principle, and it was only a matter of time before these decisions were implemented upon.

He said his government was ready to talk with the Indian leadership on all issues, including the core issue of Kashmir.

He hinted at the possibility of the opposition being invited to resolve the differences over the LFO issue after seeing the outcome of the no-confidence motion against the speaker. He, however, made it clear that the LFO had become part of the Constitution after the speaker’s ruling, and now the opposition would have to talk about amendments to the Constitution.

He said if America decided to attack Iran his government would seek public opinion as to how to deal with the situation.