ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: Pakistan may reassess its defence requirements in the light of the proposed big increase in the allocation for armed forces in the Indian budget on Thursday, Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi said at a joint news briefing at the Foreign Office here on Thursday, though reiterating Islamabad was not in arms race with its neighbour.

Gen Qureshi was asked for comments on the “big increase” in India’s military budget announced earlier in the day in New Delhi at the presentation of national budget in the Lok Sabha.

Gen Qureshi responded Pakistan was not in arms race with its neighbour or any other state, but it would continue to keep a watchful eye on developments in its neighbourhood and would do what was appropriate. It, however, did not mean that Pakistan would not reassess (its requirements) if the Indian government approved its proposed big increase in military budget, he said.

He said: “Just because a neighbouring country or India has raised its defence budget is no reason for Pakistan to react, or follow suit.”

Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan when asked whether Pakistan would accept Washington’s request for handing over Saeed Omar Sheikh, the main accused in the Daniel Pearl case, said at present investigations conducted by the Pakistani police would continue though the American request had been discussed in Islamabad.

The American request was a separate matter, the FO spokesman said, adding that Islamabad had also received the American indictment against Omar Sheikh who was also wanted by Washington in a previous indictment on a different offence.

To another question, Aziz A. Khan regretted the loss of lives in an Indian train blaze on Wednesday in Gujarat.

Replying to reported accusations by some Indian ministers alleging Pakistan’s hand in the incident, Aziz Khan rejected the charge calling it preposterous and said no accusation devoid of reliable evidence would be considered by Pakistan. However, Islamabad regretted the loss of innocent lives in the train blaze regardless of the place where it occurred, Aziz Khan said and added that it was the responsibility of the government of India to look after security of its citizens.

Asked whether any bilateral issues could be discussed during the visit of Indian information minister next month in connection with Saarc ministerial meeting, the Foreign Office spokesman said that he was unable to say what could be transpired during the minister’s stay here.

The FO spokesman indicated that Pakistan’s full participation in the Commonwealth would be decided after the elections in October. He did not expect Pakistan’s participation in the heads of the Commonwealth members meeting scheduled for early next month in view of its suspension from the organization following the removal of prime minister Nawaz Sharif two years ago.

To a question, Gen Qureshi recapitulated the achievements of President Gen Pervez Musharraf during his first official visit to Washington earlier this month on substantive bilateral relations.

He said apart from holding talks with President George W. Bush and his senior ministers and close aides, the President had also held fruitful exchanges with important members of the US Senate and the house of representatives and with 70 to 80 top corporate leaders of the US.

The FO spokesman said that details concerning Pakistan’s defence and security requirements would be identified at a meeting of the joint US-Pakistan defence consultative committee scheduled in a couple of months and expected fruitful impact on the economic and commercial relations between the two countries.

FIRING INCIDENT: Gen Qureshi said that a kiln firing bricks rather than gunmen was to blame for “shooting” at a US military transport plane as it was coming to land at Jacobabad Airport, adds AFP.