adminISLAMABAD. — Pakistan yesterday denied any plans to send weapons to Syrian rebels, amid reports that Saudi Arabia is holding talks with it about arming the insurgents.
A Saudi source said Sunday that Riyadh was seeking Pakistani anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets for forces fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
The United States has long opposed arming the rebels with such weapons, fearing they might end up in the hands of extremists. But Syrian opposition figures say the failure of peace talks in Geneva seems to have led Washington to soften its opposition.
Sartaj Aziz, the prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs, told reporters Pakistan has not considered such a proposal.
“The reports about arms supply to Syria are totally baseless,” Aziz said.
The Saudi source had pointed to a visit to Riyadh earlier this month by Pakistan’s army chief, General Raheel Sharif, who met Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz. — AFP.
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