|
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's
Foreign Office Spokesman, Masood Khan has said that Shaheen-II
test would have no adverse impact on the ongoing composite
dialogue process between India and Pakistan.
'No Adverse Impact'
Talking to BBC he said, "I don't think that the missile test
would have any adverse impact on the composite dialogue
process that we started some time ago."
Responding to a question, the Spokesman said, the missiles
test fire was primarily driven by our technical requirement,
adding this is the first time that Pakistan has tested a long
range surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
Bona Fide Objective
Masood added that Pakistan has carried out the missile test to
validate technical parameters of the missile.
He recalled that last month President General Pervez Musharraf
had announced about test fire of the missile. He said, the
National Command Authority, the apex body that oversees the
programme, had also announced on January 31 that Pakistan
would continue with qualitative, and if necessary,
quantitative upgradation of our nuclear capability.
Strategic, Conventional
Balance
Khan said, Pakistan wants peace and security in the South
Asian region, adding it has been partly assured by the
strategic parity between Pakistan and India. "We must also
have strategic and conventional balance between the two
countries", he further said.
He said, Pakistan wants to resolve conflicts between the two
countries for lasting peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan and India are nuclear weapons states, they must also
elaborate and implement a strategic restraint regime and other
nuclear risk reduction measures, he remarked by adding; "last
month as part of composite dialogue, Pakistan and India have
agreed to hold expert level talks on nuclear confidence
building measures in May this year".
Treasury, Opposition
share common views on Shaheen-II Test Fire
'Pakistan Times' Staff Correspondent Raheel Junejo adds:
In a rare show of unity, Senators from both treasury and
opposition benches Wednesday expressed their satisfaction on
the successful test fire of Shaheen-II ballistic missile
conducted on Tuesday.
It was rare relieved day in the Upper House for the government
which otherwise always face a noisy row in both the houses of
the Parliament from opposition.
A unanimous consensus among treasury and opposition benches
were witnessed as both sides were agreed at point that test
fire would certainly add more viability to defense mechanism
of the country.
House, Nation Congratulated
Speaking at a point of order, ruling Pakistan Muslim League
(Q) Senator Muhammad Ali Durani congratulated his fellows in
the house as well as the entire nation on the test fire of
ballistic missile.
He was of the view that the test fire was an amicable proof
that Pakistan had no intension to roll back its nuclear
program under foreign pressures as it was being pretended by
opposition.
Perspective
Pakistan on Tuesday conducted with pin point accuracy test of
Shaheen-II ballistic missile which could hit its target up to
2,500 kilometers.
The missile that was test fired somewhere in the Indian Ocean
could hit the entire India.
The governments Senators, however, were made toiled to some
extent as some opposition members of the Upper House raised
reservations on probe into Wana operations and wheat import
scandal from an Australian company.
Opposition Walks out of National Assembly
Yet, the opposition members belonging to Alliance for
Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
(MMA) Wednesday staged a walk out from the National Assembly.
The opposition members alleged that they were not being given
enough time to speak on an adjournment motion regarding murder
of Abdullah Murad Baloch.
The protesting members, later came back to the House to join
the proceedings.
To accommodate the opposition, Speaker National Assembly, Ch.
Amir Hussain decided to give more than the allocated time of
30 minutes to movers of the motion to participate in the
debate.
|
![PakistanTimes [PakistanTimes.net]](times2_files/sidelogo.JPG)
