NEW DELHI, Dec 8: Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh has said New Delhi will find other avenues for help if Washington goes ahead with its proposed arms sale to Pakistan.

He made these remarks barely hours before the arrival of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld here on Wednesday. Mr Singh thus sought to reassure parliament that New Delhi had not committed itself to support the US in its weapons-related space odyssey into space.

"On missile defence, we have given no commitment about our participation. At this stage, we are being given technical briefings and presentation on missile defence by the US," Mr Singh told parliament.

He said that the US administration had approached the US Congress for the supply of a weapons package to Pakistan, including surveillance aircraft and anti-tank missiles. Considering this, the United Progressive Alliance has expressed strong concern over the move at "very high levels" of the US government," Mr Singh said. He said that India had pointed out that supply of arms to Pakistan "at a time when India-Pakistan dialogue is at a sensitive stage", would have a negative impact.

India, he said, conveyed that US arms supply to Pakistan would "have a negative impact on the goodwill the US enjoys in India, particularly as a sister democracy." On the possible supply of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan the US government had conveyed that no decision had been taken and none was imminent, he said.

"We have cautioned the US against such a decision. I would like to assure members that in case of US arms supply to Pakistan, the government will not hesitate to take steps to ensure that our defence preparedness is not compromised," he said.