Tuesday, July 5 2005 16:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan yesterday (July 4, 2005) said it has conveyed its concerns to the United States over the 'negative implications' of the proposed acquisition of sophisticated weapons systems such as Patriot missiles by India.

"We have conveyed our concerns to the US with regard to negative implication of induction of such sophisticated equipment in the region," said Foreign Office Spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani to a weekly media briefing.

"They will perpetuate an arms race in which Pakistan does not wish to enter. This certainly will remain a matter of concern and an issue on which we will continue to engage with the US administration," he added.

Jilani, however, declined to say whether Pakistan's concerns were conveyed after India and the US signed a defence agreement last week.

"We have raised our concerns with the US administration. I can not give an exact timeframe as to when the concerns were conveyed," he said.

He said Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would be visiting Washington in the coming weeks. However there was no 'linkage' between the visit of Aziz and that of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to Washington later this month.

To a question, Jilani said Pakistan and India held extensive discussion last week to resolve the Wullar barrage issue and reviewed all technical aspects of the issue threadbare Jilani, who attended the talks in New Delhi, maintained that the barrage violates the Indus Water Treaty.

On the Baglihar hydropower project, he said there was a certain time schedule agreed upon in the Paris meeting in the presence of the neutral expert.

He said certain data and documents have been sent to Pakistan. "Pakistan would also substantiate its objections by a certain date. After which in the first week of October a joint site inspection would take place. Before that a team of experts from Pakistan would also visit the site".

Asked about reports of harassment of its diplomats in New Delhi, Jilani said it is verifying the reports.