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Monday,
May 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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India
destabilising Pak: Musharraf Pervez to
address nation today Indian
media whipping up war hysteria: Qazi |
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Missile programmes — a comparison Sri Lanka eyes defence pact with USA
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B’desh ex-minister attacked
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India
destabilising Pak: Musharraf Washington, May 26 He also warned of taking the offensive into Indian territory should a war break out between the two countries. “We will ensure that terrorism does not go from Pakistan anywhere to the world. That is our stand and we adhere to it,” Musharraf said in an interview to The Washington Post. Accusing India of “sponsoring terrorism within Pakistan, bullying its neighbours and provoking him with inflamed rhetoric,” he said India had used massive ‘border deployments and war threats in recent weeks “to destabilise me, my government and
Pakistan. “Should a war erupt between India and Pakistan, we will take the offensive into Indian territory,” he said. The newspaper said, during the interview the Pakistan President rejected criticism that his government had retreated from pledges to crack down on Islamic radicals. Musharraf declared that infiltration of militants into Kashmir had stopped, but “he demanded an expansive response from New Delhi,” including renewal of direct talks between the two countries. Musharraf made clear that he was offering a fresh pledge to end the border crossings, but he declined to offer specifics, and “the language he used, was at times ambiguous.” Musharraf used the same words four times during the 45-minute interview, stressing that “there is nothing happening across the Line of Control.” Asked if the absence of militant infiltrations he described had been achieved through specific decisions taken in the last week or two, he responded, “I repeat, there is nothing happening on the Line of Control. That is what I would like to repeat. And I would like to repeat again: reciprocation is important.” Musharraf said he would not consider “de-escalation alone” by India along the border an adequate response, demanding in addition “initiation of a dialogue process and reduction of atrocities within Kashmir. As a first step, the Indian military should leave the towns and cities of Kashmir and be on the outskirts.” Musharraf said he had assured US Secretary of State Colin Powell and other US officials of an end to infiltration across the LoC. Asked to describe the circumstances in which he would consider using nuclear weapons, Musharraf said this was a scenario “I would not like even to imagine”. He warned: “Pakistan is no Iraq. India is no USA. We have forces. They follow a strategy of deterrence.” If deterrence fails, he said, “we are very capable of an offensive defence. These words are very important. We will take the offensive into Indian territory.” Musharraf complained that the basic problem with India was that it was unwilling to accept a growing, stable Pakistan as its neighbour. “They want a subservient Pakistan, which remains subservient to them and subcontracts foreign and economic policy to them. They are arrogant and they want to impose their will on every country in the region. We want to live in peace. But we want to live in peace with our sovereignty guaranteed,” he said. Musharraf demanded US mediation to resolve the issue, saying, “They must help. They can bring normalcy here. They must resolve this dispute. They must ensure balance in the region.” Asked what the message of the speech should be, he said, “It has to be: we want to avoid war. We want to bring peace into the region. So, therefore, the message is to be addressed to the outside world. The message has to be addressed to India. The message has to be addressed to my own people.” He denied that his performance has not lived up to a pledge made in a nationally televised speech on January 12, in which he declared that the government would no longer tolerate Islamic radicals at home or use them as instruments of foreign policy. He also rejected Pentagon officials’ criticism that Pakistan had hesitated to carry out a military offensive against Al-Qaida fighters in self-governed tribal areas. Musharraf observed that border tensions with India in the east had slowed his ability to commit forces against Al-Qaida in Pakistan’s western frontier with Afghanistan. He said if tension with India rises, “We will have to move troops to the eastern border. We have not done it as yet.”
PTI |
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Pervez
to address nation today Islamabad, May 26 President Musharraf is to address the nation over state television and radio at 8 p.m. (IST) tomorrow. Under pressure from the international community to do “more” to rein religious extremists, President Musharraf has directed the Law Ministry to bring about radical changes in the Anti-Terrorist Act (ATA), 1997, in order to make it effective to deal with the extremists forces, a local daily here reported. “The changes are being brought about after the US policy makers and Indian government criticised Musharraf for having double policy on religious extremists” The News said.
PTI |
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Indian media whipping up war hysteria: Qazi Islamabad, May 26 He said while the Indian people did not want war but normal relations with Pakistan, they had developed a negative perception about Islamabad due to lack of information or propaganda by their media. Qazi, on his return yesterday, told the Pakistan media at the Wagah border that he hoped India would not “thrust” war on Pakistan as it was not a feasible option. War was not a “feasible option”, he said, adding that Pakistan was capable of defending itself in a conventional war without resorting to the use of nuclear weapons. “Though sometimes the domestic political situation (in India) forces its leaders to adopt a threatening posture and coercive diplomacy towards us, I hope that peace will prevail,” he was quoted as saying by the media here today. “We also have the capability and determination to defend our homeland, but we are not going for a nuclear war. We can defend ourselves even in a conventional war,” he said. On whether the ongoing missile tests would heighten the tension, he said, “We have a long-term missile development programme. Today’s test has nothing to do with the persisting border tensions with India,” he said. About his tenure in New Delhi, he said he had served for five long, good and tough years and had been recalled by Islamabad on New Delhi’s demand.
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Missile programmes — a comparison PAKISTAN'S test-firing of a nuclear-capable long-range missile has once again cast the international spotlight on a missile race in a tense subcontinent where rival armed forces are poised in a hair-trigger face-off on their border. But while the Indian missile programme is fairly transparent and by and large indigenous, Pakistan’s programme remains shadowy largely because it is believed to be based on acquired technology and clandestine transfer of materials from China and North Korea. The following is a comparative overview of Indian and Pakistani missile programmes. INDIA: It has taken up development of several missiles, ranging from the nuclear-capable Agni-II long-range ballistic missile to the Nag anti-tank missile, under an integrated guided missile development programme started in 1983. Agni-I: A 15-m, 12-tonne, single-stage, solid fuelled medium-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying a one-tonne nuclear or conventional warhead to a range of 700 km. Can be transported by road. To be inducted into the armed forces in the near future. Agni-II: A 20-m, 16-tonne, two-stage, solid fuelled intermediate range ballistic missile, capable of carrying a one-tonne nuclear or conventional warhead to a range of more than 2,100 km. Can be transported by rail. The government has cleared the raising of an Agni missile group in the Indian Army. Prithvi: A nine-metre, four-tonne, liquid fuelled short-range ballistic missile. The Army version has a range of 150 km with a one-tonne warhead while the Air Force version has an increased range of 250 km with smaller 500 kg warhead. Can be transported by road. Currently deployed with the 333 Missile Group of the Indian Army and more units being raised. Dhanush: Naval version of Prithvi with a range of 150 km. Currently undergoing trials. BrahMos: A nine-metre, 3.9-tonne, supersonic cruise missile developed jointly by India and Russia. Capable of carrying 200-300 kg warhead to a range of 300 kg. Currently undergoing trials, and is expected to enter service with Indian and Russian armed forces next year. Astra: Currently under development. Designed as 3.8-m, solid fuelled air-to-air missile with a range of up to 100 km. Capable of carrying a 15 kg warhead. Akash: Theatre defence, surface-to-air missile with a range of 27 km carrying a 60 kg warhead. Currently undergoing trials and will form part of an integrated air defence system. Trishul: Quick reaction, all-weather surface-to-air missile with a range of 9 km carrying a 5.5 kg warhead. Currently undergoing trials. Nag: Third generation, all-weather, fire-and-forget anti-tank missile weighing 42 kg and with a range of 6 km. Currently undergoing trials. PAKISTAN: The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission have been engaged in the development of various ballistic missiles. India as well as global bodies like the Federation of American Scientists say Islamabad’s missile programme has benefited from clandestine transfers of technology. M-11: Pakistan bought 84 of these missiles from China in the early 1990s. They can carry a 500 kg warhead to a range of 300 km. Believed to be deployed with Pakistan’s armed forces. Ghauri-III/Abdali: Currently under development and designed to have a range of more than 3,000 km. Engine trials were reportedly completed in September, 1999. Analysts believe this is based on North Korea’s Taepodong-I missile, Hatf-VI/Shaheen-II/Ghaznavi: Currently under development and designed to have a range of 2,000 km. Believed to be a derivative of China’s M-18, a two-stage missile capable of carrying a 500 kg warhead to a range of 1,000 km. Hatf-V/Ghauri: A 16-m, 16-tonne, single-stage, liquid fuelled intermediate range ballistic missile, capable of carrying a 700 kg warhead to a range of up to 1,500 km. Hatf-IV/Shaheen-I: Very few details available but Indian and US analysts believe this is an improved version of a Chinese missile, possibly the M-11. Hatf-IV is nuclear-capable and is reported to have a range of 700-800 km. Believed to be in production. Hatf-III/Shaheen: A 9.1-m, 6.2-tonne, two-stage, solid fuelled medium-range ballistic missile. Has a range of 600 km. Hatf-II: A 9.75-m, 2.5-tonne, two-stage, solid fuelled short-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying a 500 kg warhead to a range of 280 km or a 300 kg warhead to 450 km. Project was reportedly halted due to technical problems but limited numbers are believed to be in service. Hatf-I: A six-metre, 1.5-tonne, single-stage, solid fuelled short-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying a 500 kg warhead to a range of 60-80 km or a 100 kg warhead to 350 km. Believed to be in service with Pakistan’s armed forces.
— IANS
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Sri Lanka eyes defence pact with USA Colombo, May 26 The USA would enter into an Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) in July, formalising the already increased military cooperation between the two countries, The Sunday Times newspaper said. ACSA allows US forces to acquire food, fuel, transportation, ammunition and equipment where they were unable to arrange the logistics nationally. The Sunday Times said the USA was expected to provide more training for Sri Lanka’s security forces with the prospect of joint military exercises in exchange for access to Sri Lankan facilities.
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Guests walk out of violent rape scene Cannes, May 26 A fire brigade spokesman who gave his name as Lieut General Courtel said: “In 25 years in my job I’ve never seen this at the Cannes Festival. The scenes in this film are unbearable, even for us professionals.” The screening was attended by Italian actress Monica Bellucci who plays the rape victim, along with leading actors Vincent Cassel and Albert
Dupontel. The film is in competition for the Golden Palm award, to be handed out Sunday. Several of the women who walked out told AFP they were angry that the film with its scenes of extreme and explicit violence had been selected for competition. But Pierre
Lescure, former president of Canal Plus which co-produced “Irreversible,” described it as “a magnificent film.”
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B’desh ex-minister attacked Dhaka, May 26 Former Home (Interior Minister) Mohammad Nasim had left a rally for his party, the main opposition Awami League and was returning to his home in Sirajganj district yesterday when the attack took place, they said. A number of persons carrying, knives, spears and clubs rushed Nasim’s convoy, smashing car windows, forcing doors open and attacking those inside. “All of a sudden about 60 persons armed with lethal weapons ran ahead of the car and started hitting at it,” Mohammad Maniruzzaman, who was in Nasim’s car said.
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PAKISTAN'S test-firing of a nuclear-capable long-range missile has once again cast the international spotlight on a missile race in a tense subcontinent where rival armed forces are poised in a hair-trigger face-off on their border.
