• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

HEAD LINES:

1. U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL'S PERSONAL ENVOY, DELIVERS SECRETARY GENERAL'S LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER MR.MUHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF - THE PRIME MINISTER EXPRESSES APPRECIATIONS FOR THE EFFORTS INITIATED BY THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL.

2. THE PRIME MINISTER LEAVES ISLAMABAD ON A 2-DAYS VISIT TO KUWAIT AND QATAR.

3. THE U.S. SENATE SETS UP A SPECIAL TASK FORCE TO REVIEW SANCTIONS AGAINST PAKISTAN AND INDIA.

..........................

NEWS IN DETAIL:

THE PRIME MINISTER MR. MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF HAS EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION FOR THE EFFORTS INITIATED BY THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL MR. KOFI ANNAN AND CALLED UPON THE WORLD BODY TO ENCOURAGE, FACILITATE AND SUPPORT A CREDIBLE PROCESS OF PEACE AND RAPPROCHEMENT IN SOUTH ASIA. THE PRIME MINISTER WAS TALKING TO THE PERSONAL ENVOY OF THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL MR. ALVARO DE SOTO WHO CALLED ON HIM IN ISLAMABAD TODAY AND DELIVERED A LETTER FROM MR. KOFI ANNAN. MR. DE SOTO CONVEYED TO THE PRIME MINISTER THE CONTINUING CONCERN OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL AT THE SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING WAYS OF DEFUSING TENSION AND ADDRESSING ITS ROOT CAUSES. DURING THE MEETING, THE PRIME MINISTER UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR UNITED NATIONS TO TAKE EFFECTIVE STEPS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON JAMMU AND KASHMIR. HE ALSO DREW ATTENTION TO THE PRECARIOUS SITUATION CREATED BY INDIAN VIOLATIONS OF THE LINE OF CONTROL. IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT THE U.N. DISCHARGE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY. MR. MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF ASKED THE UNITED NATIONS, PARTICULARLY THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO DIFFERENTIATE CLEARLY BETWEEN THE APPROACHES TAKEN BY INDIAN AND PAKISTAN. PAKISTAN, HE SAID, IS READY TO ENGAGE MEANINGFULLY WITH THE U.N. AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE SECURITY SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA. HOWEVER, INDIA HAS PERSISTED IN ITS DEFIANCE OF ALL INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION. THE U.N. SHOULD STAND-BY ITS OWN RESOLUTIONS AND ADOPT A PRINCIPLED STAND AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY APPROACH OTHERWISE, ITS CREDIBILITY AND STANDING COULD ERODE WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR GLOBAL PEACE AND SECURITY. THE PRIME MINISTER INFORMED THE ENVOY THAT HE IS PREPARED TO MEET THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER IN COLOMBO NEXT MONTH. HE ALSO RENEWED HIS INVITATION TO THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL TO VISIT ISLAMABAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

U.S. SENATORS, SAM BROWNBACK AND CHARLES ROBB, DURING THEIR MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER MR. MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF IN ISLAMABAD TODAY, HAVE AGREED THAT RESOLUTION OF THE KASHMIR DISPUTE WAS CENTRAL TO PEACE AND STABILITY IN SOUTH ASIA. THE TWO SENATORS ALSO REFERRED TO THE SENATE RESOLUTION ON KASHMIR CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION WHICH UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF RESOLVING THE KASHMIR ISSUE WHICH HAS BECOME THE NUCLEAR FLASH-POINT ENDANGERING REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY. THE PRIME MINISTER INFORMED THE SENATORS ABOUT PAKISTAN'S COMPULSIONS TO GO AHEAD WITH ITS NUCLEAR TESTS. HE SAID, INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS HAD CREATED A GRAVE THREAT TO PAKISTAN'S SECURITY AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WHILE FOCUSING ON NON-PROLIFERATION REGIMES HAD FAILED TO ADDRESS THE PRECARIOUS SECURITY SITUATION IN THE REGION. THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, PAKISTAN WAS ASKED TO EXERCISE RESTRAIN BUT NO CREDIBLE SECURITY ASSURANCES WERE EXTENDED TO PAKISTAN. PAKISTAN, HE SAID, DELIBERATED UPON DECISION FOR MORE THAN FIFTEEN DAYS AND CARRIED-OUT ITS NUCLEAR TESTS AFTER BEING CONVINCED THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER OPTIONS BUT TO CONDUCT THE NUCLEAR BLASTS IN THE SUPREME NATIONAL INTEREST. PRIME MINISTER MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF ADDED THAT NOW WITH THE STRATEGIC BALANCE HAS BEEN RESTORES, A NUMBER OF FAR-REACHING MEASURES AIMED AT EASING TENSION IN THE REGION HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED. THESE MEASURES INCLUDE, UNILATERAL MORATORIUM ON NUCLEAR TESTING AND FORMULATION OF REGIONAL TEST BAN TREATY, RESUMPTION OF TALKS WITH INDIA FOCUSING ON PEACE AND SECURITY AND KASHMIR. THE PRIME MINISTER THANKED THE TWO SENATORS FOR PLAYING A POSITIVE ROLE IN THE U.S. SENATOR AND APPRECIATED THE GREATER UNDERSTANDING WHICH NOW EXISTED IN THE CONGRESS FOR PAKISTAN'S SECURITY CONCERNS AND THE NEED TO RESOLVE THE CORE ISSUE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR. HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE U.S. WOULD PLAY A LEADING ROLE WITHIN THE P-5 TO INITIATE A CREDIBLE PROCESS AT THE BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL LEVELS TO PROMOTE BAK-INDIA BILATERAL DIALOGUE. HE SAID, UNLESS THE KASHMIR ISSUE WAS RESOLVED, PEACE AND SECURITY CANNOT BE ENSURE IN THE REGION.

EARLIER, THE U.S. SENATORS HAD A MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER MR. GOHAR AYUB KHAN. THE MEETING COVERED MOST OF THE ISSUES RAISED WITH THE PRIME MINISTER BUT IN GREATER DETAIL. THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN WAS ALSO DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEST OF REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY. THE TWO SIDES ALSO EXPRESSED THE NEED FOR REMOVING IRRITANTS THAT HAD CROPPED UP AND TO FURTHER ENHANCE BILATERAL RELATIONS. SENATORS BROWNBACK AND SENATOR ROBB ALSO RECEIVED BRIEFING ON THE SITUATION IN THE INDIAN OCCUPIED KASHMIR PARTICULARLY ALONG THE LINE OF CONTROL.

THE PRIME MINISTER MR. MUHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF HAS LEFT ISLAMABAD ON A TWO-DAYS VISIT TO KUWAIT AND QATAR.

DURING HIS VISIT THE PRIME MINISTER WILL ADDRESS A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES INCLUDING THE POST-NUCLEAR TESTS SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA. THE PRIME MINISTER WILL APPRISE THE AMIR OF KUWAIT SHEIKH JABIR AL-AHMED AL-JABIR AL-SABAH AND THE AMIR OF QATAR SHEIKH HAMAD BIN AL-KHALIFIA THAT PAKISTAN HAS WELCOMED THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION ON KASHMIR BUT INDIA CONTINUES TO THWART ANY PEACE EFFORTS BY STAVING OFF THIRD-COUNTRY ROLE FOR A SETTLEMENT OF THE DISPUTE.

FEDERAL MINISTER FOR INFORMATION MR. MUSHAHID HUSSAIN HAS SAID THAT PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR TESTS HAVE NOT ONLY RESTORED PARITY WITH INDIA FROM THE MILITARY AND POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW BUT ALSO HELP FOCUS WORLD'S ATTENTION ON THE ISSUE OF KASHMIR ISSUE. THIS WAS STATED BY THE FEDERAL MINISTER DURING VISIT TO CHAGHI IN BALUCHISTAN ALONG WITH A GROUP OF JOURNALISTS FROM ALL THE FOUR PROVINCES IN THE COUNTRY. CHAGHI WAS THE VENUE OF PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR TESTS LAST MONTH. BRIEFING THE NEWSMEN MR. MUSHAHID HUSSAIN SAID, PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR TESTS HAVE PROVIDED RENEWED ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES. THE NUCLEAR TESTS HAVE ALSO IMBUED PAKISTANI NATION WITH THE WILL AND COURAGE TO STAND ON THEIR OWN FEET AND THE INSPIRATION FOR SELF-RELIANCE. HE ADDED, THE ATOMIC BLASTS OF MAY 28 AND 30 ARE A GREAT TECHNICAL AND HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT BY PAKISTAN WHICH HAS HELD BOOST THE NATIONAL MORAL. PAKISTAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN, DR.ASHFAQ AHMED EXPLAINED ABOUT THE TECHNICAL DETERRENCE OF THE NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS TO THE JOURNALISTS ALONGWITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE AREA.

THE U.S. SENATE HAS SET UP A SPECIAL TASK FORCE TO REVIEW THE SANCTIONS AGAINST PAKISTAN AND INDIA AFTER LAST MONTH'S NUCLEAR TESTS BY THE TWO COUNTRIES. THE 19-MEMBER TASK FORCE WILL PRESENT ITS REPORT BY JULY 15 THIS YEAR.SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, TRENT LOTT AND THE MINORITY LEADER SENATOR THOMAS DASCHLE HAVE INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING THE TASK FORCE. SENATOR TRENT LOTT SAID IN WASHINGTON THE SHORT-TERM GOAL OF THE PANEL IS TO EXAMINE WHAT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THE SANCTIONS ON INDIA AND PAKISTAN AS A RESULT OF THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAMME.

IN OCCUPIED KASHMIR, ALL PARTIES HURRIYAT CONFERENCE HAS DENOUNCED INDIA FOR REJECTING JOINT STATEMENT BY CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES ON ESTABLISHING LASTING PEACE IN SOUTH ASIA. ADDRESSING A NEWS CONFERENCE IN SRINAGAR TODAY, THE APHC CHAIRMAN, SYED ALI GILANI ALSO CONDEMNED INDIAN RULERS FOR REFUSING TO RECEIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL. THIS, HE SAID,WAS PROOF OF THE FACT THAT INDIA WAS NOT READY TO GIVE UP ITS INTRANSIGENCE ON KASHMIR ISSUE. MEANWHILE HUNDREDS OF VILLAGES HAVE BEEN VACATED BY THE INDIAN TROOPS ALONG LINE OF CONTROL IN OCCUPIED KASHMIR. PEOPLE ARE BEING SEVERELY TORTURED AND TERRORISED TO MAKE THEM MIGRATE. DURING THE CURFEW AZAN-E-ISHA AND FAJAR PRAYERS IN MOSQUES HAVE ALSO BEEN BANNED. A REPORT FROM WASHINGTON SAY THAT FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR, SARDAR MUHAMMAD ABDUL QAYYUM KHAN TOLD THE U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOUTH ASIA, MR. KARL INDERFURTH THAT INDIA'S REFUSAL TO ALLOW THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPECIAL ENVOY TO VISIT NEW DELHI CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED HER COMPLETE DISREGARD TO THE U.N. AS WELL AS TOWARDS PEACE. SARDAR ABDUL QAYYUM SAID THAT THE KASHMIRIS WERE THE REAL PARTY TO THE DISPUTE AND THEREFORE NO LASTING SOLUTION OF THE KASHMIR PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND WITHOUT THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION.

.......................
 
 

WEATHER:

RAIN WITH THUNDERSTORM IS EXPECTED AT ISOLATED PLACES OF NORTHEAST PUNJAB AND KASHMIR. HOT AND DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.