KARACHI, Jan 3: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday declared that Pakistan would go ahead with its plan of fencing and mining parts of its border with Afghanistan to check any cross-border movement of extremists.

The prime minister, who is leaving for Kabul on Thursday for substantive talks with the Karzai government, was responding to a question during his press conference at the Governor’s House here on Wednesday.

However, he parried response to the part of the question that pertained to Kabul’s objections to fencing and reservations on the status of the Durand Line between the two countries and said: “Afghanistan has its own point of view and we have ours. We attach great importance to our relations with Afghanistan and want friendly and cooperative relations with our neighbour.”

He referred to Pakistan’s efforts for furthering the composite dialogue with India for the resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and removing hiccups in other bilateral matters.

He made it clear that Pakistan would maintain minimum credible deterrence.

“Our nuclear programme has effective command and control system. Our defence is impregnable and the government is meeting all requirements of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Pakistan and China will soon start joint production of fighter aircraft,'' he said.

Mr Aziz also referred to Pakistan’s ‘significant and active’ role at the UN, OIC, ECO and Saarc.

He said the gas pipeline project with Iran was ‘very important’ as Pakistan needed more energy for development schemes. A team of Pakistani experts would visit Tehran later this month for talks on the project, he added.

On Iran's nuclear issue, he said Pakistan was against the proliferation of nuclear weapons but supported peaceful nuclear programme under IAEA safeguards.

Replying to a question about the missing persons in the country, Mr Aziz said the government was investigating the cases. He advised the relatives of the missing persons to register FIRs to institutionalise the issue.

Responding to various questions on government’s performance, he said the ruling coalition did an ‘exemplary’ job during last four years. He claimed that his party would do more in 2007 for betterment of people across the country without any discrimination.

“It will be for the first time in the history of Pakistan that parliament will complete its full five-year term,” he said, adding that Pakistan would be made stronger and more prosperous, and the ruling coalition would emerge victorious in the next general elections.

“The election of the president would be done in line with the Constitution, and the ruling PML will announce its candidate for the post of prime minister at the start of the electoral process. From where I will contest in the next general elections will also be decided at the start of the electoral process,'' he said in response to another question.

The prime minister said the year 2006 was “historic during which Senate and local bodies polls were held as part of (efforts for) further strengthening the democratic system and parliament.”He said there was continuity and consistency in economic policies, reforms and good governance. The government efforts for improving the living standard of people achieved fruitful results, causing reduction in unemployment and raise in salaries of the fixed income group.