PINDI BHATTIAN, Oct 2: President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday expressed the hope that Pakistan would get defence equipment from the United States, it needed to maintain a conventional arms balance in South Asia.

“We have briefed the US leadership about Pakistan’s defence requirement,” he said when asked about the imbalance in conventional weapons being created in the region in the wake of huge defence spendings by India.

Talking to newsmen after inaugurating the 52-kilometre long Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad Motorway, the president said he hoped Pakistan would get defence equipment from the United States, after approval by the Congress.

Answering a question, the president said he raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations and informed the world leaders and US President George Bush that Islamabad wants a dialogue process to start.

“Our stand is very clear on Kashmir, we want to resolve it peacefully,” Gen Musharraf said but regretted that Indian response had been negative.

He said Pakistan wanted the dialogue process to start for the resolution of all problems but made it clear that it has to be on the basis of sovereign equality.

“We are not desperate (for talks),” he said while adding, “New Delhi should come forward to start the talks process”.

He said Washington fully appreciates the situation in South Asia and hoped it would help facilitate initiation of the dialogue process between Pakistan and India.

Replying to a question about talks between the government and the opposition, the president said that uniform was not the issue as it had been accepted that he would not give any date in this regard.

Gen Musharraf said he fully appreciates that he should not hold the offices of the president and the Chief of the Army Staff simultaneously “longer than required”. But, he added, the matter of when he would quit as Army Chief should be left to him to decide.

Asked how the nation was benefiting from the massive increase in foreign exchange reserves, that have crossed an unprecedented level of $11 billion, he replied, “it is a misnomer that common people are not benefiting from these reserves”.

He said that rise in forex have given a boost to industrial activities in sectors like cement, textile, engineering etc.

“It means the factories are working and people are getting jobs,” he added.

Gen Musharraf said more jobs would be available with the initiation of developmental projects.

Replying to a question, he said with the construction of irrigation canals the agriculture output would also increase. He said dams would be constructed to meet the growing requirements and a decision in this regard would be taken next year.—APP