excerpt:
One pamphlet from Khan Research Laboratories (KLR) featured a picture of Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, against a background of missiles, rocket launchers and the mountains where the Islamabad government conducted its 1998 nuclear tests.
"The main focus of our expertise/service is on the promotion of joint ventures for the manufacturing of advanced defence weapons/equipment," a brochure seen by Reuters said.
Islamabad, Muharram-ul-Harram 01, 1424 AH, Sunday, February 22, 2004
Army gets Hatf-III missile system
President says defence capability development to continue
No compromise on nuclear programme
Rawalpindi—President General Pervez Musharraf reiterated on Saturday that Pakistan’s nuclear programme was here to stay and, being a vital national security interest, will never be compromised.
He said that far from any misplaced notions of a roll back, we will continue to develop our capability in line with our minimum deterrence needs. The President was speaking at a ceremony held to hand over the indigenously produced Hatf-III (Ghaznavi) Ballistic Missile System to the Army Strategic Force Command.
The solid fuel Ghaznavi Ballistic Missile System, which has a range of 290 kilometres, was successfully test fired in 2002 and 2003 with excellent results.
It now forms an integral component of Pakistan’s operational deterrence systems, which also include the Shaheen series and Ghauri intermediate range missiles.
The ceremony was attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Services Chiefs and senior military officers and scientists.
President Musharraf said that his actions spoke louder than words and in the last four years, large number of missile tests of different systems as well as handing over of these systems to the respective Strategic Missile Groups amply demonstrated his government’s resolve to consolidate and strengthen Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence. He urged the nation to come out of the mindset of the eighties when the nuclear programme was in its infancy and could be threatened with roll back.
“Today, Pakistan, by the Grace of Allah, was an acknowledged and established nuclear power”, the President said.
The President paid glowing tributes to the scientists, engineers and technicians who had made the nation proud by their dedicated and professional hard work. “By their singular achievements they had forged a strong indigenous capability, which had resulted in very substantial savings”, he commended.
The President laid strong emphasis on the need to further enhance security by drawing appropriate lessons from the unfortunate events of past proliferation.
He highlighted that since the establishment of institutionalized command and control systems in the last four years, adequate checks and balances had been put in place to prevent the recurrence of such lapses.
Additional restructuring was being undertaken to further modernise the security system around our strategic assets, the President said.
He said Pakistan fully shared international concerns on proliferation and reiterated country’s resolve to ensure that there will never be any type of proliferation from its soil.
He said that Pakistan will continue to cooperate with IAEA in its efforts to uproot international proliferation networks.
He said, “our state policy is very clear. Our nuclear capability is for the sole purpose of deterrence of aggression against Pakistan and for the defence of our sovereignty.”
Pakistan, as a state, never has and never will proliferate its hard earned nuclear technology to any other country. What unfortunately happened in the past, from 1989 to 1999, were individual actions based on personal greed and gross misuse of autonomy and authority, it was a betrayal of the nation’s trust, it was compounded by an ineffective and inefficient security system, and an absence of institutionalized oversight. These individuals were subverted from within. Nevertheless, this aberration too was checked when institutional arrangements were put in place in 2000.
He assured the world that the network had been uprooted within Pakistan.—APP
Lahore—The Central Ruet-e-Hilal committee announced on Saturday the sighting of the Muharram-ul-Harram moon and the first of Muharram will fall on Sunday (tomorrow).
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal committee headed by Mufti Munibur Rehman met here at Radio Pakistan building this evening to sight the moon for the new Islamic year 1425.
According to the committee, the moon was also sighted in Peshawer, Parachinar, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Karachi and other parts of the country.
Other members of the committee present on the occasion were Mufti Mohammad Arif Saeedi, Maulana Qari Abdul Rashid, Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Kakakhail, Allama Riaz Hussain Najfi, Allama Maqsood Ahmed Qadri and M.M.Qureshi.
The Chairman of the committee on the occasion offered special prayers for solidarity, integrity, progress and prosperity of the country, freedom of Kashmir and Palestine and for the Muslim Ummah.—APP
Steps taken to maintain law, order in Muharram
Abu Talha
Islamabad—With the advent of Muharram, beginning on Sunday (today), the Government has made tight security arrangements to maintain law and order situation in the country.
According to Interior Ministry sources, the directives have been issued to the law enforcing agencies, provincial authorities, Nazims and other concerned functionaries to ensure peace and harmony.
The sensitive areas in the country have been identified and police authorities have been ordered to be vigilant and keep an eye on miscreants and extremists. Northern Areas, Parachinar, Jhang, some areas in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Quetta have been identified as the most sensitive areas where city governments and Nazims have been directed to ensure sectarian harmony. Law enforcing agencies have been put on alert.
It was also decided to call para-military forces and army troops, in case of emergency to assist the civilian authorities to maintain peace.
The Chief Ministers of Punjab and Sindh have already convened meetings of Ulema belonging to different schools of thought to seek their support for creating sectarian harmony. Such meetings will also be held at district and tehsil levels. Peace Committees will be formed at lower levels.
The Senators and MNAs belonging to treasury benches have been directed to stay in their respective constituencies to remain in touch with the people. Similarly, Chief Ministers have also given such instructions to MPAs.
To make available a large number of police personnel, the government will cancel leaves of the policemen to beef up security at sensitive points. The religious places will also be provided security. The government will fix the routes of Muharram processions in different cities and towns, the sources added.