Islamabad, Sept 08: Pakistan today expressed "deep concern" over the growing defence co-operation between New Delhi and Tel Aviv and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's first ever visit to India. Voicing concern over the proposed purchase of Israeli air-borne Radars by India, foreign office spokesman said the massive purchases were not aimed at Pakistan alone. "We don't know what they intend to do? They can't use all of these against Pakistan alone," he said adding that "We warned against the dangerous consequences of such a collaboration between India and Israel and I think such a collaboration should be avoided at all costs."
He, however, refused to draw any co-relation between the timing of Sharon's four-day visit to India coinciding with the week long visit to New Delhi of US Assistant Secretary Christina Rocca.

"There is no correlation between the two visits", he said. Asked about the on-going military exercise by Indian and US troops in troops in Ladakh, Masood Khan said, it was being conducted within the "disputed territory" and would be "counterproductive".

The exercises may fuel concerns in the neighbouring countries and does not add to stability in the South Asian region, he said.
Bureau Report