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| 08 March 2004 | Monday | 16 Muharram 1425 |
Pakistan capable of defending itself: PM - India-Israel Phalcon deal
SUKKUR, March 7: Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali said here on Sunday that Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself. Talking to newsmen after the inauguration ceremony of the second phase of Al Shifa Trust eye hospital here on Sunday, he said the Phalcon radar system provided to India by Israel would not adversely affect the defence capability of Pakistan. However, he condemned the Israel government for providing to India such a modern system which would disturb the balance of power in the region. The world powers should take notice of such destabilizing deals, he emphasized.
The prime minister, however, said that the Phalcon deal would not have any negative impact on the process of dialogue and efforts to improve relations between Pakistan and India.
He said Pakistan wanted good relations with all its neighbours, but without compromising national defence and integrity. Answering a question, Mr Jamali said that Wana operation was being carried out against terrorist elements who had entered Pakistan from abroad.
He said that the government would never allow any outsider to carry out terrorist activities in the country. However, he said that the Wana operation was carried out with the consent of the people concerned and nothing wrong was being done there.
Clarifying his comments about a change of government, he said that he did not mean that the entire government would be changed. What he actually meant was that structural changes could be made in the provincial and federal governments. He said that such changes could not be ruled out in a democratic set-up.
In reply to a question about the shortage of wheat in Sindh, Mr Jamali said there was no shortage of wheat in Sindh or in the country. He attributed the crisis on the activities of hoarders and profiteers and mill owners, who, he said, had stocked the wheat, and were waiting for the prices to go up. However, he said that he will talk to the Sindh chief minister about the closure of 50 flour mills in the Sukkur region. He termed the shortage of wheat artificial.
When a correspondent drew his attention to a ban on government advertisements of the daily Nawa-i-Waqt and The Nation, the prime minister said that Dawn of the Herald Group, daily Jang and Nawa-e-Waqt had rendered valuable service to the nation. But, he said, the government sometimes had to take action to ensure that while the press enjoyed its freedom, it also kept in mind the interest and prestige of the country. However, the prime minister said that the government was reviewing the matter and considering to lift the advertisement ban.
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