International
Pak. denies receiving Chinese weapons
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, JAN. 8. Pakistan today described as ``totally fabricated'' a report in a section of the press that China had sent five shiploads of weapons to the country last month to help it meet ``any eventuality''.
The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, told a news conference here that there was no truth whatsoever in the report and it was totally fabricated.
The leading English daily, The News, and its Urdu daily, Jang, in a prominent front-page report claimed that the consignment included unassembled fighter aircraft besides other air force equipment. The papers, run by the same group, gave an impression that China's decision to send the consignment at this juncture was meant to send a message in the context of the ongoing Indo-Pak. tension.
The prompt manner in which Mr. Khan denounced the report gave the impression that Beijing had objected to it and wanted Islamabad to correct the impression.
Observers here said that if Mr. Khan wanted to dodge the question, he could have simply fallen back on the cliche ``I have not seen the report'' or ``We do not comment on speculative reports.''
The news report datelined Karachi gives vivid details of the consignment and said the timely arrival of the F-7MG and FC-1 super seven aircraft had made the airpower ratio between India and Pakistan two to one.
It said the aircraft had night-fighting capability. ``Pakistani and Chinese technicians assembled the aircraft in record time and they were deployed at several bases.''
PTI reports:
The News said China made a ``speedy delivery'' of spares and related equipment for Pakistan's ``strategic assets'' through the Karakoram highway mountainous pass connecting both the countries. Strategic assets meant nuclear weapons and delivery systems.
``Separately, the Chinese Government made a speedy delivery of spares and related equipment for Pakistan's strategic assets through Karakoram highway, a little before the snow created major obstacles on this crucial communication line between Pakistan and China before Christmas,'' it said.
The newspaper said Pakistan's extensive missile defence system had now been raised with the active support of the Chinese Government.
Senior officials were quoted as saying that as a ``gesture of friendship to Pakistan'', the Chinese Government had sent the ships loaded with defence equipment to Karachi even before the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, met his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin, during his visit to China in December last year.
Gen. Musharraf met the Chinese Premier, Zhu Rongji, on January 3 while on his way to the SAARC summit in Kathmandu and also returned through Beijing.
On more than one occasion during Gen. Musharraf's visit to China in December, the Chinese leadership reiterated that its friendship with Pakistan ``was deeper than the oceans and higher than the mountains,'' the paper said.
According to the Jane's Defence magazine, India has about 800 combat aircraft against Pakistan's present strength of 355. The new deliveries increase the Pakistan Air Force's strength to 400.
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