Gripen was also finalized by PAF but later dropped in favor of JFT.
Lie. jf-17 cannot be compared with Gripen.
Sweden denied to sell pakistan any offensive weapons....
Musharraf serious about reform, says Swedish FM
July 7, 2004
STOCKHOLM: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is working purposefully toward reform inside his country and in relation to neighbouring India, Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said after a meeting with the visiting president here on Tuesday.
"I basically had a good impression of him ... He is a very open person with a clear idea of what needs to be done ... to reform his country," Freivalds told reporters. She added that the Swedish government, a vocal defender of human rights around the world, had no qualms about meeting with a leader who had come to power through a military coup.
"We are of the opinion that if we think a political dialogue is possible and can help us influence the development, well choose to have the dialogue," she said, pointing out that it was also essential if Pakistan and India are to ever start disarming their nuclear weapons or solve the Kashmir conflict.
"Intense work in this area is going on, and it is important that both parties have the ambition to try to find ... a possibility to start disarming, something that is not even on the table today," Freivalds said.
The Swedish minister also said she was impressed by Musharrafs plans to improve womens rights in his country and in neighbouring Afghanistan. "He convincingly said that this question is a priority from his point of view, not least from an educational standpoint ... He has introduced (gender) quotas in his parliament and brought a young, female parliamentary representative with him on his trip here," she said.
During their talk on Tuesday, Musharraf and Freivalds also discussed increasing trade between their two countries.
However, Freivalds insisted that Sweden would not consider selling weapons to Pakistan. "There is no question of selling them weapons or anything directly related to weapons today," she said, adding that the government had yet to decide whether the Erieye radar system would be considered a weapon. "We have yet to reach that stage" in the negotiations, she said.
Sweden won't sell Gripen fighter planes to Pakistan
July 07, 2004 16:30 IST
In a setback to Pakistan's efforts to get new generation Swedish-made Gripen fighter planes, Stockholm has said that it will not sell any weapons or weapon-related equipment to Islamabad [ Images ].
"There is no question of selling them weapons or anything directly related to weapons," Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said after her talks with visiting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [ Images ] in Stockholm on Tuesday.
Before his talks with Freivalds, Musharraf, who is currently on a tour of Scandinavian countries, said Pakistan might be interested in purchasing JAS Gripen fighter planes from Sweden. "Pakistan is looking for a high-tech aircraft. Gripen is one of several alternatives," he was quoted as saying by Swedish newswire TT.
Freivalds also said the Swedish government has yet to decide whether to sell Erieye radars, which was sought to be purchased by Pakistan for its Air Force.
She said a decision has to be made whether the radar came under the category of weapons. "We have yet to reach that
stage," she said.
Pakistan Air Force has been looking to acquire new generation aircraft to modernise its ageing fleet after US declined to sell old or new F-16 fighter planes to it.