Sri Lankan Army Chief Lt Gen G S C Fonseka, who is on a week long visit to Pakistan, will hold talks with his counterpart there on various issues including purchase of arms for his forces, embroiled in an intense battle with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a report said in Colombo on Tuesday.

Lt Gen Fonseka, who left for Pakistan on Sunday on an official tour, is slated to discuss several issues including defence purchases, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

During his stay, the visiting army chief is scheduled to meet President Pervez Musharraf [Images], Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani and several other defence officials.

"Reports claimed that the main purpose of the army chief's visit to Pakistan was to discuss the purchasing of certain required weapons and ammunition though there was no official confirmation over such claims," the newspaper said.

A defence official said Lt Gen Fonseka is touring Pakistan on an invitation from his counterpart Kiyani.

"It is similar to the visit undertaken by the army chief to India," the official said.

The visit of Lt Gen Fonseka to India in March this year had led to extreme reaction from the Tamil Tiger rebels who accused New Delhi of helping Sri Lanka [Images] to fight the LTTE.

It may be recalled that Sri Lanka has been increasing looking at China and Pakistan for weapons supplies.

Lt Gen Fonseka, who survived an assassination attempt in April, 2006 in Colombo, has said that he would wish to fully deal with the LTTE problem before he retired by the end of 2008.

The Sri Lankan army chief maintains that the LTTE has been weakened and was now confined only to two districts in the north.