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India should pay compensation: Aziz

Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz has said Pakistan will demand compensation from India for shooting down its Atlantique aircraft on August 10 in Gujarat, killing its 16 navy personnel.

Talking to newspersons last night in Karachi, Aziz said Pakistan will ask for the compensation since the naval aircraft was shot down in its territory by an Indian fighter aircraft which, in doing so, violated Pakistani airspace.

Aziz's statement follows one made by Pakistani Information Minister Mushahid Hussain yesterday in which he had said, ''Pakistan has every right to demand compensation under international law.''

In this context, Hussain had referred to the United States' compensation to South Korea after the US air force shot down a Korean airliner a few years ago.

Meanwhile, in reply to another question, Aziz said meaningful talks with India could only be held when a representative government was ushered into power in that country after the forthcoming general elections.

''However, Pakistan is ready to hold bilateral talks on matters like respectability of the LOC, prisoners of war, and easing of tension on the borders,'' he said.

UNI

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