Updated on
Summary
President Asif Ali Zardari urged the US administration for early transfer of drone technology to Pakistan for its effective use by security forces to curb militancy and for its wider public acceptability. He also stressed on the need of strategic dialogue process and said that the frequent interaction among the leadership of Pakistan and the United States have replaced the trust deficit between the two countries. The President was talking to the United States Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Norton A. Schwartz, who called on him at the Presidency.Gen Norton A. Schwartz was accompanied by Ms. Anne W. Patterson, US Ambassador in Islamabad and senior officials of US Air Force and US embassy in Pakistan. The President said that inclusion of defense dialogue in the ambit of the strategic dialogue framework is also a step in the right direction. The President thanked the US government for the timely delivery of F-16 aircrafts, which have been used extensively in the counter-terrorism operations. The President urged for mid life up-gradation of the F-16s and said that defense collaboration between the two countries must remain strong. The President said that this technology would not only eliminate PAFs existing limitations of precision night operations but also enable the PAF to meet its mission more effectively.
