September 3, 2003	Wednesday	Rajab 5, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KHARIAN, Sept 2: There is no room for extremism in Pakistan and steps are being taken to rid the country of this problem, says President Pervez Musharraf.

These remarks were made by the president while addressing officers and men during a day-long visit to the Kharian garrison on Tuesday.

Stressing the need to guard against internal threats posed by religious intolerance, sectarianism and extremism, President Musharraf said that there would be no compromise on vital national issues, including the cause of Kashmir as well as the country’s strategic assets.

Pakistan, Gen Musharraf said, was following a policy of credible minimum deterrence in the conventional and unconventional fields, adding that the capability would be maintained.

The president said that every dimension of external threat to the country was being addressed.

Expressing confidence in the preparedness of Pakistan armed forces, Gen Musharraf said armed forces were “adequately equipped, well-trained and fully-motivated” to defend the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The president said the government was striving to equip the armed forces with indigenously-developed state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.

He referred to the JF-17 ‘Thunder’ (Super-7) aircraft, Al Khalid tank and the Agosta-class submarine projects.—APP