Islamabad: Describing itself as a "responsible nuclear state", Pakistan's new Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani today said his government it will maintain a minimum credible deterrence to ensure peace and stability in the region.

A strong and credible defence is the ultimate guarantee for peace, he told army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, who called on Gillani at the Prime Minister's secretariat here and congratulated him on assuming office.

Pakistan is a peaceful country and its defence policy is based on peaceful co-existence with its neighbours, Gillani said.

As a responsible nuclear state, he said, Pakistan believes in maintaining a minimum credible deterrence to ensure peace in the region. The armed forces have an important responsibility to protect the security and territorial integrity of the country, he said.

Kayani informed the premier that the country's defence had been made "impregnable by adopting innovative training and through the induction of modern equipment".

Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir too called on Gillani. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army today said it had recalled 72 senior officers, including six major generals and eight brigadiers, from civil departments.

The recall of army officers from the civil administration was part of Kayani's efforts to insulate the army from politics.  

A statement issued by the army said the General Headquarters would henceforth not entertain any request for retention or induction of army officers in any civil department.  

The civil departments had been asked to finalise plans for the recall of army officers, junior commissioned officers and soldiers by March 20.  

The 72 senior officers will return to the army by May 1. The recall of the junior commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers too has started.  

In the second phase, 46 officers and other ranks will return to the army by mid-August as these personnel cannot currently be spared by  the civil departments.

Source : PTI