KATMANDU, 30 October 2003 — Pakistan’s Ambassador to Nepal Zamir Akram has expressed concern over India reportedly acquiring air missile technology from Israel, saying this will trigger an arms race in South Asia. He made the statement at a press conference to talk about a summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation to be held in Islamabad from Jan. 4-6, the Katmandu Post daily reported.
Zamir said finalizing the framework of the South Asian Free Trade Area treaty was the major agenda for the summit but cautioned that in South Asia things could change at the last minute to impede the holding of the summit. The envoy was alluding to the standoff between India and Pakistan, which had earlier led to the postponement of the summit.
Zamir said New Delhi’s bid to acquire aerial surveillance Phalcon radar systems from Israel as well as air missile technology would destabilize the region. While the US had opposed an Israeli move to sell the radar system to China, it had approved the $3 billion Israel-India Phalcon deal in August, the envoy said.
