October 24, 2003	Friday	Sha’aban 27, 1424

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PANO AQIL, Oct 23: President and Chief of Army Staff, Gen Pervez Musharraf, said here on Thursday that Pakistan was following a policy of minimum credible deterrent in the conventional and unconventional fields, which had been quantified keeping in view the respective forces levels that would be maintained at all costs.

Addressing the officers at Pano Aqil Cantonment, the president said on no account would the balance of power in South Asia be allowed to be disturbed.

He said in view of Indian intransigence and refusal to engage in a meaningful dialogue for resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan, including the core issue of Kashmir, it “is this no-win scenario” for India that was ensuring peace in the region.

Whenever there “is an attempt to upset the balance of power,” Pakistan would take steps to rectify it, the president said.

He spelt out various measures that had been undertaken for modernization of the Pakistan armed forces, including the induction of main battle tank Al-Khalid, Augusta Submarines and the JF-17 Thunder (Super 7) aircraft.

The focus, he said, was on self-reliance and indigenization of the state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.

Paying rich tributes to the unmatched professionalism and discipline of the armed forces, General Musharraf exhorted the officers and men to train hard during peacetime and continue to maintain their qualitative edge over the adversary.

Earlier on arrival at the cantonment, the president was received by Corps Commander Lt-Gen Tariq Waseem Ghazi and General Officer Commanding Maj-Gen Asif Akhtar. He was introduced to the officers of the divisional headquarters.

General Musharraf also visited a photo exhibition in the cantonment and lauded the efforts of the contributing units on illustrating life in the desert.—APP