05 February 2005	Saturday	25 Zilhaj 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The Pak-US Defence Consultative Group (DCG) has formed a new sub group to exchange views on threat perceptions and operational issues.

The new sub group named 'Operations Consultation Committee' (OCC) was established just ahead of the 16th meeting of the DCG that concluded here on Thursday.

"Both sides agreed to set up the committee in the backdrop of growing threat perceptions at the regional and global level," a source privy to the defence talks told Dawn on Friday.

The OCC had its first meeting a day before the DCG met at the ministry of defence in Rawalpindi. At the meeting senior military and civilian officials from both the countries made presentations on their respective threat perceptions.

While the Pakistani side underlined India's massive defence weapons acquisition programme, counter-terrorism operations, and security challenges in Afghanistan and tension along the Pakistan-Afghan border, the US delegation focused on the terrorism threat, proliferation of WMDs and its concerns regarding Iran and Korea, and the Middle East, it is learnt.

"The objective of this particular committee is to discuss the general trends, to share assessments on specific regional and global threats and exchange military information," explained one DCG delegate. The OCC is the third sub group of the DCG.