By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan has said that sale of advanced military technology and equipment by the United States to India will accentuate military imbalance and undermine strategic stability in South Asia.
Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said this will also encourage India to adopt aggressive military doctrine and contemplate military adventures.
He said that the transfer of modern military hardware and technologies, as well as repeated exceptions made for India, may discourage the efforts to establish the strategic restraint regime. Pakistan has repeatedly been calling for such a regime for durable security architecture in the region.
On statements of senior Indian military personnel describing LoC as imaginary line and threats of surgical strikes, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman said the Indian Army often makes false claims in order to gain popularity among Indian public and media. Pakistan has always encouraged peaceful engagement with India, including confidence building measures but its gestures have not been reciprocated.
The spokesperson said Kulbushan Jadev, the RAW agent, who was serving as a commander of Indian Navy, made confessions before the magistrate as well as in a video recording. He said the agent was launched by India to carry out subversive activities in Pakistan. He added that India was trying to divert attention from the actual issue by presenting it as a humanitarian one.
Nafees Zakariya said that books by former Indian bureaucrats testify the fact that India scuttled efforts for peaceful resolution of conflicts with Pakistan.
He stated that Pakistan would continue to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the legitimate struggle of Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination.
The spokesperson said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif would uphold the country’s interests during their interactions with world leaders on the sidelines of UNGA session.
He said that during the foreign minister’s visit to China, Iran and Turkey there was convergence of interest and viewpoints on the situation in the region including Afghanistan.
The points of convergence included the regional solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, Afghan-owned and Afghan-led dialogue, Pakistan’s immense contribution, and sacrifices in the war against terror, and no durable regional peace without solution of Kashmir dispute.
