Pakistan not in arms race

Pakistan is a peace-loving country and does not want to be engaged in an arms race. Its strategic as well as conventional capabilities are focused towards legitimate defence needs and promotion of peace, said Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani as chief guest at the induction ceremony of PNS Shamsheer at the PN Dockyard on Monday. The vessel is a multi-mission frigate and is second of four ships to be acquired under F-22 P Frigate program.

Gilani said "Our friendship and strategic partnership with China has been and will remain the cornerstone of our foreign policy." These ties, he added,were based on the principle of non-interference in each others'internal affairs and were not directed against any country.

Gilani said he was happy to learn that the frigate program had also an embedded indigenisation aspect which would be fulfilled by the construction of a fourth Frigate at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW). The commanding staff of shamsheer have also paid a visit to Colombo on their way from China to Pakistan and remained docked on Colombo Port for four days. The Ship was visited by civilians and military dignitories, diplomats, journalists, businessmen and Pakistani community members during its stopover in Colombo.