August 30, 2003	Saturday	Jumadi-us-Sani 30, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, Aug 29: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday presided over a meeting which discussed purchase of defence equipment.

An official announcement said that the meeting was attended by all services chiefs, secretary of defence and other top officers of armed forces and civil services.

Though no official word was available, it is believed that the purchase of one squadron of Mirage 2005 from a Middle East country and two squadrons of F-16 fighter jets from Belgium, were discussed.

Pakistan is vying with India for the purchase of one squadron of latest Mirage which the Middle Eastern country had acquired from France but now wanted to sell them. Pakistan and India, both want to purchase the fighter jets.

Similarly, Belgium purchased F-16 fighters from the United States but now it wants to sell them. The media reports, quoting Belgian Defence Minister Andre Flahaut, said that Pakistan had made a formal request to the Belgian government to provide it two squadrons of F-16 fighter jets.