ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday urged the US for early transfer of drone technology to Pakistan for its effective use by security forces to curb militancy.
| I'll just bet he wants the drones, so that the ISI can figure out how to stop them ... |
| Or how to use them against Indian troops across the Kashmiri border... |
The president said that the strategic dialogue process and the frequent interactions between US and Pakistani leadership had replaced the trust deficit between the two countries with a "new sense of partnership" and set their bilateral relations in a positive direction. Matters relating to Pak-US bilateral relations, including defence cooperation, Pakistan's fight against extremism and security situation in the region, came under discussion during the meeting.
The president said that inclusion of defence dialogue in the ambit of the strategic dialogue framework was also a step in the right direction.
The president thanked the US government for the delivery of F-16 aircrafts, which have been used extensively in counter-terrorism operations. Zardari urged the US to upgrade the existing F-16s and said that defence collaboration between the two countries must remain strong.
"This technology will not only eliminate PAF's existing limitations of precision night operations, but also enable the PAF to meet its mission objectives more effectively," the president said. |