India's two-tiered ballistic missile defence programme to trigger arms race: Malik

The Indian acquisition of two tiered ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme would trigger regional arms race, stated Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Tuesday. Federal Interior Minister said while addressing the participants on the last day of the "Fissile Material Treaty: Possibility & Prospect" conference organised by South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (Sassi).
In his address, he said that the Indian acquisition of two tiered (BMD) programme to enhance its national security is a threatening situation for Pakistan which not only provokes Pakistan but China too. He stated, "It is important that the international community must realise that if Pakistan is not agreeing to FMCT (Fissile Material Cut-off Treat) then it has some legitimate security concerns and these are affected by the non-proliferation responsibilities, which are placed on India as result of its acceptance in the regime, which we don't see."
Interior Minister said, "Pakistan is a peace loving country and we know the price of peace, we are fighting a war which has been imposed on us and Pakistan has suffered a lot from it in terms of economic loss, tragic causalities and these all resulted in suicidal culture. This war has destroyed peace in the region."
Addressing to the participants of the conference the Interior Minister said that the policy of discrimination, which is being faced by Pakistan in the nuclear field is unacceptable. However, he said, "We would like to be supportive of the negotiations however, for this a policy of equality is required and it should based on the strategic reality that the defence and nuclear inflow in India will lead to strategic instability thus we should be treated equally for discriminatory policy against Pakistan makes the task of any government difficult if not impossible to sell to domestic audience."
He further said that Pakistan is a nuclear state but has not been recognised so far that's why we have opposed the FMCT but will support a treaty if it is done equally by all nuclear weapon states and will include the issue of existing stockpiles.
Former ambassador Shaukat Umer said that international community also needed some verification and definition of FMCT. He said that recent international negotiations, Pakistan has found it necessary to take a position independent of India's. Concerned by the large stocks of plutonium in India, Pakistan is demanding that any treaty banning further production of fissile materials for weapons must include verified counting and reduction of stocks. Its insistence on this position is now seen to be stalling further progress on the negotiations at the UN Conference on Disarmament.
Earlier, Maria Sultan, Director General South Asian Strategic Stability Institute in her opening speech highlighted the perspective of Pakistan towards FMT. She also briefed the participants about the challenges confronted by the Nuclear Non Proliferation Regime such as the issues of negative security assurances, challenger states, nuclear energy, the link between non proliferation and regional deterrent situation, Unilateralism and bilateralism vis-à-vis multilateralism.
Concluding her remarks she stated that future support by Pakistan for the FMCT/FMT would require dejure recognition of Pakistan in the nuclear club and an equal balance of responsibilities set forth for India from the non proliferation regime; for currently the benefits, which India has received as result of the Indo-US deal are not within the framework of an established legal treaty or non proliferation measures, which balance responsibilities with benefits such as nuclear and technology access.