Berlin - Germany's parliament rejected Thursday an attempt to stop the sale of three submarines to Pakistan, with pro-government speakers defending the sale.

Last year, the transaction was approved in the first phase of Berlin's review of the sale by the German warship-building consortium.

Germany's opposition Greens party asked parliament Thursday to intervene, but the large government majority rejected the motion. However several speakers in government parties voiced some misgivings at the sale.

Rolf Hempelmann of the Social Democrats, a party in Chancellor Angela Merkel's government, called for a "fresh review of the security situation in the region" before the government gave its final blessing for the sale. (dpa)