Islamabad, June 26: Playing down the significance of United States reluctance to provide Pakistan with F-16s during the current tour of President Pervez Musharraf to Washington, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said the country could buy compatible planes from France or other countries. "Pakistan will not depend on one country to fulfil its security and defence needs. If the United States refused to give F-16 fighter planes, the country would buy compatible planes from other countries, including France," Jamali was quoted as saying by the media.
Referring to Musharraf's visit to US, Jamali said the Pakistani people had pinned high hopes on the President's visit to America. In response to the opposition criticism that the US aid of three billion US dollars was meager, he said America wanted a long-standing relationship with Pakistan, and getting an aid package of three billion USD was no mean achievement.
He recalled that the US had earlier waived one billion debt to the country. When asked if his authority as Prime Minister and chief executive of the country was not eroded with Musharraf's foreign trips, Jamali said it was more important to realise who could better plead the country's case at a particular forum.
President Musharraf, he said, had been in constant touch with the Bush administration over the last three years. "On the other hand, I have not even seen US President Geroge W. Bush," he said.
Jamali also dispelled reports that Pakistan was about to accord recognition to Israel saying, "It will not happen, nor will the country's atomic programme be rolled back."
On the resumption of air and road links with India he said these issues have been decided in principle, and it was only a matter of time before these decisions were implemented.
Pakistan, he reiterated, was ready to talk with the Indian leadership on all issues, including Kashmir. Bureau Report