A 12-member Swedish Defense Commission has held talks with Pakistan's Defense Secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Nawaz, according to an official statement. The delegation led by Hakan Juholt was briefed on the situation in the region with a special reference to the ongoing dialogue between Pakistan and India on Kashmir. The defense secretary said the current imbalance in the conventional arms in the region did not favor Pakistan and urged the world to realize the needs of Pakistan. Nawaz said Sweden and Pakistan enjoy excellent relationship. Sweden had helped Pakistan by providing defense equipment for Armed Forces of Pakistan, he added. The secretary apprised the visiting team about the role being played by Pakistan as a frontline state against the war on terror. He said that the Pakistan government was committed to root out the menace of terrorism and extremism. Hakan Juholt expressed satisfaction over the existing level of relationship between Sweden and Pakistan and hoped these relations would further grow. The Swedish Defense Commission is visiting Pakistan on a Fact Finding Mission to study and monitor the recent developments in the South Asian Region.
