RAWALPINDI, Jan 8: Pakistan Army was formally handed over here on Wednesday an indigenously developed Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (Hatf-V Ghauri) system at a special ceremony held at Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).

Speaking on the occasion President Gen Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistanis were a respon-sible nation and were aware of international obligations.

Commenting on the recent spate of media allegations of proliferation, he said, it was a sinister campaign to denigrate and malign Pakistan’s national heroes and the country’s clean record by hostile lobbies, who have always been inimical to Pakistan’s status as a nuclear power.

“Our Command and Control structures, which have been in place for four years now, are water tight. We reject all such malicious stories and allegations comprehensively”, he further stated.

According to the ISPR, the president said it was proud day for him to be accepting the Ghauri system on behalf of the Army’s Strategic Force Command. He said Ghauri symbolized national resolve and its induction in the Strategic Forces would radiate the necessary effects of deterrence.

He paid glowing tributes to the scientists, engineers and workers of Dr A. Q. Khan Research Laboratories on their outstanding successes and contribution in giving Pakistan a strategic capability and strengthening national security.

The president said that the patriotism and technical prowess of country’s scientists and engineers had made Pakistan a nuclear power with accurate and assured delivery systems, which had been put through a number of technical trials successfully.

The achievements of KRL in the twin fields of uranium enrichment and missile developments were a source of indomitable strength to the nation and its leadership, he said.

The deterrence capability, Gen Musharraf said, was developed through Pakistan’s dedicated indigenous efforts and the nation had rendered sacrifices for it. “Its sole purpose was deterrence of aggression and defence of our sovereignty”.

JAMALI GREETS SCIENTISTS: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Wednesday congratulated the armed forces and the engineers and scientists of the Khan Research Laboratories over the formal handing over of the indigenously-developed IRBM Hatf-V Ghauri System to Pakistan army, adds APP.

In his message, the prime minister termed this splendid step forward as a significant measure for consolidating the defence capability of Pakistan.

Paying befitting tribute to the sense of patriotism, professional commitment and technical skills of the research scientists of the KRL, the prime minister said that the whole nation was proud of the scientists and the armed forces.