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Pakistan shows off its military might

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November 15, 2000 

KARACHI-- (UNB/AP) - Pakistan's missile capability was on show for everyone to see at the opening of a three-day international defense exhibition Tuesday, sponsored by the military government here and attended by 20 countries.

Also showing their wares at the exhibition entitled "Ideas 2000: Pakistan Arms for Peace" were 200 defense firms.

Pakistan is looking for buyers for its military equipment, said Asim Siddiqui, exhibition organizer. The big market potential is in Africa and East Asia, where interest in Pakistani-made military hardware has been expressed from countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.

Pakistan expects to see a brisk trade in it ammunition, mostly artillery and tank shells.

Pakistan also makes two types of tanks, which will be on display. Pakistani-made anti-tank missiles, and not surface-to-surface missiles, will be for sale.

Interest has been expressed by countries looking for quality, but without the hefty price tag of western-manufactured equipment.

"Pakistan's defense equipment are of a superior quality and much cheaper and can compete in the international market, " said Siddiqui.

Organizers of Pakistan's first defense exhibition say they want to break the monopoly the West currently has in the multi-billion-dollar defense industry.

Most of the countries participating in the exhibition are from either Africa or Asia. France and China also are participating, but not the United States, which has an arms embargo against Pakistan.

The embargo was imposed in 1990 to punish Pakistan for its nuclear program.

Pakistan, which spends nearly 40 percent of its annual dlrs 14 billion budget on defense, would like to do some business in the military field and offset the costs, says Siddiqui.

Currently Pakistan's defense export revenue is barely a few hundred million.

Despite the push for sales, Siddiqui said the long-and-medium-range missiles are not for sale.

Pakistan's longest range missile is the Shaheen 2 which has a range of 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) and is capable of accommodating a nuclear warhead.

Both Pakistan and its uneasy neighbor India tested nuclear devices in 1998 and declared themselves nuclear powers. However, it's not believed that either country has deployed nuclear weapons.

It's also not known what nuclear weapons either country possesses.

Pakistan previously said its nuclear technology was not for sale.