Musharraf says army ready to thwart any aggression

Islamabad, Feb.2 : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said the armed forces are ready to thwart any aggression against the country and it's nuclear capability.

"Pakistan's armed forces are a highly professional, motivated and well-trained force and are capable of safeguarding Pakistan's security against all types of threats," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted the president as saying after witnessing a successful training launch of the Ghauri (Hatf-V) Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) on Friday.

Addressing the troops in the exercise area, Musharraf said a serious note had been taken of "various imaginary scenarios being propounded" by those who did not wish Pakistan well.

The president said the nation had developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability and expected that officers and men entrusted with the task of deterring aggression would continue to train hard and maintain professional excellence.

The Ghauri missile has a range of 1,300 kilometres. President Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, senior military officers and scientists witnessed the field launch exercise.

ANI