August 27, 2006	Sunday	Sha'aban 2, 1427

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LAHORE, Aug 26: Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal says Pakistan will purchase F-16s from the United States in accordance with the agreement between the two countries. However, he made it clear that being a sovereign country Pakistan would not accept any condition for the use of the sophisticated planes.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday night, he said relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan were improving with the passage of time and there was no need for Islamabad to deploy more troops on the Afghan border.

He said soon the world nations would see that ties between Islamabad and

Kabul had improved tremendously.

Answering a question, he said Islamabad was trying its best to improve relations with New Delhi. However, he regretted that the Indian leadership was not reciprocating Gen Pervez Musharraf’s enthusiasm.

In response to another question, he said former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had been in contact with President Musharraf for the past two years. But, he said, she was not positive in her attitude.

He told a questioner that the PPP-Patriots was an ally of the ruling PML and the two parties would contest the next elections together.

However, he said, President Musharraf would make seat adjustments between the two allied parties.