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07 March 2004
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Sunday
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15 Muharram 1425
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Phalcon deal to disturb strategic balance, says Islamabad
ISLAMABAD, March 6: Pakistan said on Saturday that it will take appropriate measures vis-a-vis India's deal to purchase three Phalcon airborne early warning radar system from the zionist regime, saying this would disturb the strategic balance in South Asia.
"The sales of sophisticated weapons to India will disturb the strategic and conventional balance in South Asia, and we will naturally take steps to redress the balance," Major-General Shaukat Sultan, director-general of Inter-Services Public Relations told Iranian-based news agency.
India and Israel signed the US$1.1 billion deal on Friday, which had been lined up since zionist Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to India in September last year.
The development takes place three months before the much-awaited India and Pakistan talks to settle their bilateral disputes, including the Kashmir issue.
On Sunday, the Israel cabinet okayed the deal for the Phalcon, a rival to the US-made AWACS. The Phalcon consists of avionics from the state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries to be fitted onto Russian-made Ilyushin aircraft.
Tel Aviv in recent years has emerged as one of the largest weapons exporters in the world. Israeli military sales reached $4 billion in 2002. -APP
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