July 4, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 3,1424

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ISLAMABAD, July 3: Pakistani officials welcomed on Thursday a German decision to waive four-year military sales sanctions on the country, saying the move would enable the country to improve its air defence system.

“It is a welcome decision and very significant for Pakistan’s quest to upgrade its air defence radar capability,” a senior foreign ministry official told AFP.

He said the decision came during wide-ranging talks held by President Pervez Musharraf with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin early this week.

Pakistan Air Force sources said sanctions imposed by Berlin after the May 1998 nuclear tests by Pakistan, in response to Indian tests in the same month, had deprived Pakistan of a major source of high-tech equipment.

Pakistan has been using German radar systems along with the United States, France and the United Kingdom.

Defence analysts said the German radar system was more suitable for the harsh weather conditions in Pakistan where the rate of wear and tear is high.

“Radars tend to break down very frequently because of the extreme weather in Pakistan and the sanctions had handicapped a major chunk of our air defence system,” analyst Ikram Sehgal told AFP.

President Musharraf disclosed the decision to Pakistani media in Berlin soon after his talks with German leaders.

“It is a matter of great delight that we will get spare parts of the radar system for Pakistan Air Force,” state run Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as saying.