Putrajaya (Malaysia): President Pervez Musharraf has declared that Pakistan would "counter" India's move to acquire Israeli Falcon airborne radar systems and urged the United States to "try harder" to persuade New Delhi to resume Indo-Pak dialogue.

In an interview to Malaysian daily 'New Strait Times' published on October 13, the Pakistani General asserted he would never allow his country to be at a military disadvantage and would do his best to maintain a no-win situation.

"We will maintain that no-win situation, come what may, the world and India should know. They have reached an agreement and we will counter it. That has to be very clear. We will never allow the no-win situation to be disturbed," Musharraf said in response to a question on India's tripartite agreement with Russia and Israel for the manufacture of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).

Musharraf, who is in Putrajaya to attend the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), said he wanted the US to try harder to persuade India to enter into a dialogue with Pakistan.

"Yes, they are trying, and I would say they should try harder and everyone should try harder," he said when asked if American efforts to bring India and Pakistan to the negotiating table will make any difference.

He noted that relations with India have improved with New Delhi granting Pakistan Most Favoured Nation (MFN) trading status but he said the situation can't be resolved by a "piecemeal" improvement of relations unless major causes of the dispute are addressed.

On Pakistan's possession of nuclear weapons and US concerns on the issue, Musharraf said, "I don't think Americans are unhappy with that at all".

He said Pakistan would not engage in proliferation of nuclear arms but it needed a resolution of disputes to remove any possibility of using the weapons. "We can't even think of using them."

On the Iraq issue, he said a UN mandate is needed for Muslim peacekeepers in the country.

"We don't want to go there as an extension of occupation because we will not be able to do our duties," Musharraf said.

Referring to the turmoil in the Mid East, Afghanistan and Iraq, he said Muslim countries must adopt a strategy of "enlightened moderation".

PTI