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‘Pakistan hasn’t modified US missiles’

* Admiral Bashir says international obligations being honoured

KARACHI: Denying reports that Pakistan has illegally modified the US-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missile to enable them to strike land targets in India, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nauman Bashir on Monday said Pakistan had fulfilled all the agreements it has signed with other countries.

“We have not and will never violate any convention or principles on that, and all international obligations are being honoured by the Pakistan Navy, he said while addressing the inaugural session of an international conference on “Piracy on the High Seas”, organised by the Master Mariners Society of Pakistan at a local hotel. He said the US protest on the issue was based on sheer misunderstanding, which was being clarified at the appropriate level.

Anti-piracy: Concerning piracy, he said 70 percent of Pakistan’s trade was done by sea, so the navy had to show a great responsibility. “The Pakistan Navy is doing its best against pirates and guarding the borders of the country to prevent any Mumbai-like incident,” he said, adding that the navy was playing an important role in the global anti-piracy campaign in Somalia. “It is our moral obligation to ensure security and safety in the country’s territorial waters and adjoining sea areas,” he said. He also asked the sea faring community to highlight the significance of sea as a medium of trade, as it was the backbone of the country’s economy. Earlier, in his welcome address, Master Mariners Society of Pakistan (MMSP) President Captain Haleem Ahmed Siddiqui said piracy had intensified in recent years and had adversely affected mariners and coastal states. He said billions of dollars were lost annually due to piracy. He said such huge losses had been putting a negative impact on international trade and the issue needed to addressed immediately. moonis ahmed

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