Islamabad, Aug 30: President Pervez Musharraf has held talks with top defence officials to finalise Pakistan's plans to buy second hand Mirage-2005 and F-16 aircraft from the UAE and Belgium. Musharraf presided over a meeting yesterday, which discussed purchase of defence equipment, including Mirage and F-16 planes. An official announcement said the meeting was attended by all services chiefs, secretary of defence and other top officers of the armed forces and civil services. Though no official word was available on the agenda of the meeting, it is believed that the purchase of one squadron of Mirage-2005 from the UAE and two squadrons of f-16 fighter jets from Belgium were discussed. Belgium requires us consent to sell the aircraft, whose sale has also been opposed by the Belgian opposition parties.

Nelgian Defence Minister Andre Flahaut has acknowledged that Pakistan has made a formal request to his government to purchase two squadrons of F-16 fighter jets.
Pakistan approached Belgium after the US rejected Musharraf's request to sell it F-16 fighter jets.

Meanwhile a new fighter aircraft, thunder-7, being developed jointly by China and Pakistan, would be test-flown in the first week of September from a Chinese airbase. Top Pakistan officials are expected to attend the test-flight.

Bureau Reoprt