Armed Forces to be fully equipped: PM

KARACHI – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan is a peace-loving country and does not follow any expansionist designs stressing that it must maintain minimum deterrence to have peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan’s strategic as well as conventional capabilities are focused on legitimate defence needs and promotion of peace, declared the Prime Minister while speaking at the induction ceremony of PNS Shamsheer at the PN Dockyard here on Monday.
The vessel is a multi-mission frigate and is second of four ships to be acquired under F-22 P Frigate programme.
Gilani said it was a matter of satisfaction for the nation that a Frigate PNS Shamsheer was joining the Pakistan Navy fleet.
He congratulated all those who are involved in the Frigate programme.
He also appreciated the focus and hard work of the Ministry of Defence Production, Pakistan Navy and Chinese partners for a successful programme, which resulted in timely completion of the second ship.
He said it was another manifestation of Pakistan-China friendship which was rightly regarded as a model relationship based on mutual respect, trust and complete confidence.
‘We are proud of our ties with China that are time-tested and all weather relationship which is higher than mountains and deeper than oceans’, he said, adding, that ‘our friendship and strategic partnership with China has been and will remain the cornerstone of our foreign policy’.
These ties, he said, were based on the principles of non-interference in each others internal affairs and not directed against any other country.
The Prime Minister said that the long-standing defence cooperation between Pakistan and China is growing from strength to strength to the mutual benefit of both the countries.
On the occasion, the PM also extended his profound gratitude to the government and people of China and congratulated them for reaching yet another hallmark of