ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday alarmed the world community about massive Indian arms buildup and modernization of its nuclear arsenal, which could lead to an arms race in South Asia.
"We have seen reports of recent acquisition of Rafale jets by Indian Air Force [from France]. According to some former senior Indian officials and several international publications these Rafale jets are dual-capable systems that can also be modified as nuclear weapon delivery platforms," Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui told at her weekly media briefing.
She said it was well known that India continued to expand and modernise its nuclear arsenal both in terms of type and number of delivery systems.
In addition to this, she added that India had nuclearised the Indian Ocean and continued to increase the readiness of its arsenal through measures such as canisterisation of missile systems.
"It is disturbing to note that India continues to amass military capabilities beyond its genuine security requirement," she said, adding that according to credible and reputable international research institutes, India was now the second largest arms importer in the world.
Aisha said Pakistan had been consistently highlighting the risks of massive Indian arms buildup as well as their offensive security doctrine and force postures, which were adversely affecting strategic stability in South Asia.
"This arms buildup is being aided and abetted through a policy of exemptions, waivers and supply of advanced equipment, technology and weapons for narrow commercial interests," she said.
She said that such arms transfers also violated the objectives of various export control regimes on preventing destabilising accumulations of arms in various regions including where there existed outstanding conflicts and disputes.
"Transfer of advanced systems, where there is an open intention of conversion into nuclear delivery platforms, calls into question the commitment of international suppliers to non-proliferation commitments," Farooqui said, adding that the world community must dissuade India from its disproportionate arms buildup, which could also lead to an arms race in South Asia.
She added that the world was already a witness to the bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric by the BJP government in pursuit of a revisionist agenda in the neighbourhood.
On Pakistan's part, she said that it remained open to consideration of measures for crisis management, risk reduction, and strategic restraint.
"While remaining opposed to any arms race in South Asia, Pakistan cannot remain oblivious to these developments and remains confident of its ability to thwart any ill-considered act of aggression," she asserted.
Asked whether Pakistan is also looking for a similar defence agreement with France for supply of the Rafale jets or any other European country, she said that the Pakistan's bilateral relations with countries in Europe were long standing and multi-dimensional.
"Defense cooperation is part of the overall matrix of our bilateral relations with these countries. So under that ambit, we do have conversations on this subject but what you are referring to is not directly related," she said.
About Prime Minister Modi's proposed inauguration of a temple on the site of Babri Masjid on Aug 5, she said the step would further give rise to extremism and fascism spurred by the BJP-RSS nexus in pursuit of its Hindutva ideology, which was not only a growing threat to the safety and well-being of minorities in India but to the peace and security in the region and beyond.
She said that desecration of religious places of minorities, illegal actions and continuing military siege in the IOJ&K; stripping two million Indian Muslims in Assam of citizenship; passage of Citizenship Amendment Law; mob lynching, targeted killing of Muslims in New Delhi, the Babri Masjid/Ayodhya verdict and construction of Mandir at the site, are steps taken to alienate Muslims in India.
"We take a very strong view of this and condemn this," she added.
On the Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, she said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had asked Pakistan to review and reconsider the conviction and sentence of Jadhav.
To fulfill our international obligations, she added that Pakistan had promulgated the ordinance, under which Commander Jadhav and India were invited to file a review of the proceeding before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
"That has not been done so far. So in order to comply with the order of ICJ, the Federation has filed a petition in the IHC to appoint a lawyer for Commander Jadhav so that the review proceeding can be initiated," she added.
To a question about the recent report by the UN monitoring team, she said that the report by UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIL, Al-Qaida and other associated entities "in fact corroborates Pakistan's longstanding position on the continued threats posed by various terrorist groups from across our border to our peace and stability".
She said that the findings of the report were a testament to the fact that the Pakistan's actions against those terrorist groups had been successful.
"We call other countries in the region and our partners in war against terrorism to join their efforts in curbing these terrorist organisations from the region for our collective security," she added.
About the report of the Indian government's Minority Commission constituted on Delhi riots, she said that the publication of the report was a manifestation of increased voices being raised from within India against the treatment being meted out against Muslims and other minorities.
She said that the acts of violence against Muslims were carried out with State complicity. She said that many international organisations had also condemned the violence against Muslims.
"Pakistan has already put forward its stance on this matter many times in the past that the bigotry and discrimination against Muslims in BJP's India is condemnable," she added. About Afghanistan, she said that Pakistan welcomed the announcement of ceasefire on Eidul Azha.
"We see this as a positive development," she said, adding that the two sides must fulfill their commitments to take the peace process forward. She said that release of prisoners was one such commitment and "we hope to see a forward movement in this aspect, so that the next step, which is the intra-Afghan dialogue can take place".
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020