Islamabad: Voicing concern over India's $ 1.5 billion deal with Russia to buy 45,000-tonne Soviet-era aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, Pakistan today (Jan 27, 2004) called for restraint in Defence purchases in the sub-continent.

"We must have conventional balance and strategic restraint regime between the two countries (India and Pakistan)," Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan told reporters when asked about the deal.

After years of hard negotiations, India signed its biggest ever Defence deal with Russia on January 20 for the acquisition of Admiral Gorshkov along with its complement of 28 MiG 29-K fighters.

The deal for the purchase of completely refurbished aircraft carrier was announced by Defence Minister George Fernandes and his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov at a joint press conference in New Delhi.