ISLAMABAD, 12 September 2004 — President Pervez Musharraf says he is in favor of provincial autonomy and wants more powers and resources to be delegated to the provinces.
He also gave a stern warning to terrorists, saying those who challenged the solidarity and integrity of the country would be crushed.
Musharraf ruled out a roll back of Pakistan’s nuclear program, saying it would be further improved and refined.
“Pakistan will not roll back its nuclear program, rather it will be further improved,” Musharraf told a gathering of army officials in the southwestern city of Quetta.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been asking Pakistan to subject its entire nuclear program, including the uranium enrichment facility — Khan Research laboratories (KRL) — to international inspections. But Musharraf rejects this and says the country’s nuclear program is “non-negotiable”.
He said that the government was meeting the requirements of the armed forces to make the country “more secure and stable”.
Musharraf’s remarks on defense came two days ahead of the mega International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS), being held in the southern city of Karachi, where the focus will be on aggressive marketing for Pakistani defense products and exploring the possibility of purchasing the latest equipment from participating countries.
“We have no external threat but confronting internal challenges,” Musharraf said in an obvious reference to the on-going anti-terror operation aimed at hunting down foreign terrorists and their local militants in Pakistan’s tribal region.
“Pakistan has no threat from outside, it faces dangers from inside and we will crush those who challenge the country’s solidarity and integrity,” said Musharraf. He said the government was taking effective steps to eliminate terrorism.
Musharraff, who ordered a series of operations to flush out foreign militants and their local supporters in South Waziristan, told reporters in Quetta on Friday that at least 90 percent of terrorists had been captured from different parts of the country.
He said terrorists are being arrested from varying terrains. “The masterminds who are foreigners hire some locals and give them weapons, money and training,” he said, adding, “if they are eliminated the problem will be over.”
Commenting on the development process in Balochistan, Musharraf said that since 1999, the government had been paying special attention to gear up the pace of development in the province.
“We have increased the development funds of Balochistan from three to six percent. Work is under way on a record number of development projects in the province,” he said.
— With input from agencies
