India sore over Britain's move to sell arms to Pak.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 8. India today expressed disappointment at Britain's decision to export defence equipment to Pakistan and said the step was not in tune with the country's earlier disposition towards Islamabad.

``We are disappointed at the decision by Britain to issue export licenses for supply of defence equipment to Pakistan,'' the Foreign Office spokesman said. According to him, the release of parts, which include naval spares and bomb disposal equipment, ``is not in the spirit of the stand taken by the Commonwealth and the British Government with respect to the situation in Pakistan.''

Sources here pointed out that Britain had not imposed an embargo on sale of arms to India and Pakistan, after their nuclear tests in May 1998. It had, however, restricted military interaction with the two countries. Nevertheless, the sale of parts which had a U.S. component had been put on hold due to pressure from Washington.

According to U.S. laws, the transfers of these parts were prohibited because of Washington's decision to impose sanctions on India after the Pokhran test. The U.S. assertion in the export of predominantly British equipment had, in turn, affected the maintenance of Indian fleet of British origin such as Sea King helicopters and the Jaguar bombers of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

In India's case, defence ties with Britain were gradually reviving with the renewal of an invitation for a meeting of the Indo-U.K. defence consultative group. The Chief of Army Staff had visited London earlier this year as also the Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes.

Analysts here point out that the British decision has a prominent political and economic dimension to it. Politically, it reflects a shift in British disposition towards Pakistan's military Government. From near isolation of Pakistan as reflected in the Commonwealth decision to suspend it from the organisation, London now appears ready to begin a limited engagement with Islamabad.

Economically, the decision seems to suggest British impatience with India's foot-dragging on the purchase of 66 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT), which it manufactures. By going in for non-lethal sales to Pakistan, Britain may be sending a calibrated signal to India that it would not hesitate to open arms sales to Pakistan in case New Delhi continued to delay a decision on the $ 1 billion AJT deal.

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