The Hindu : International : Patriot missiles: Pakistan conveys concern to U.S.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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International

Patriot missiles: Pakistan conveys concern to U.S.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 23. Pakistan said today that it had conveyed to the United States and India its concern over New Delhi's possible acquisition of the U.S.-made Patriot defence missile systems.

At the Foreign Office briefing here, the spokesman, Masood Khan, said Islamabad had told Washington as well as New Delhi that any bid by India to buy the system would spark an arms race and send the region into "crisis mode."

He was answering a question on reports of U.S. officials briefing their Indian counterparts in New Delhi about the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC) defence missile systems. "We are aware it was only a presentation and sale per se. However, we believe any sale of the system to India would be counter-productive, this would erode deterrence that this would send our region into crisis mode," Mr. Khan said.

He said that if India were allowed to buy Patriots, it would spark an "unintended arms race here which nobody wants." "It would induce higher risk-taking and this, we think, is not in sync with the goals of peace and security we have here in the region," Mr. Khan said.

Besides taking up the issue with the U.S. leadership at all levels, Islamabad had expressed its concern to India during the nuclear and conventional CBM talks held here in December.

Mr. Khan said there was no justification for India to acquire such systems, particularly at the current juncture. "India has been pursuing rapprochement with China and a composite dialogue with Pakistan. So where is the threat and what is the threat perception down the road? Pakistan wants South Asia to be free from anti-ballistic missile system," he said.

Bus service

On the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, he said Pakistan was in the process of evolving the system required for operationalising the service by April 7. Describing it as a "good step in the right direction" Mr. Khan said the overall issue of Jammu and Kashmir needed to be resolved.

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