Pakistan may not be able to buy Mirage 2000-5s

Starved of funds, the Pakistan Air Force may not be able to induct multi-role Mirage 2000-5 aircraft in the near future.

Dassault Aviation, the French company which manufactures these planes, is reportedly not very keen to conclude a deal with Pakistan because of the financial crunch there.

PAF Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak says, ''The French are no lovers of Pakistan.'' If money is made available, Pakistan will buy 32 Mirage 2000-5s at around $ 2.6 billion.

The French company made its concern about Pakistan's capability to pay for the planes very clear recently when a team of Pakistani journalists visited France. A company representative told them Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves were at a low level despite frantic efforts by the new government to bolster the economy and that such a major deal would not be risked at least in the next six months.