RAWALPINDI, April 5: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Monday that a comprehensive programme had been chalked out to equip Pakistan armed forces with the state-of-the art weapons' systems in order to maintain minimum deterrence level both in conventional and unconventional fields.

The president made these remarks while addressing a gathering of officers from three services at the General Headquarters. The president reiterated that there was no question of either freezing or rolling back the country's nuclear programme as it was in national interest.

He said that nuclear capability was in safe institutional and custodial controls and would be enhanced as per defence requirements. During the course of his address, the president spoke at length about prevailing international and regional environments. The president said that in view of the geo-strategic importance, Pakistan had a key role to play in the region.

Pakistan had the potential to become an important hub of economic activities linking Central Asian states with South Asia and the rest of the world, he remarked. The president also spoke of the internal security situation and stressed upon the need for eliminating religious intolerance and extremism from society. -APP