BEIJING: While commenting on successful test launch of Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile, a former defence attaché has said that enhancement of Pakistan’s self-reliance in weapons and equipment is conducive to safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity and maintaining regional peace and stability.

“In recent years, Pakistan has made persistent efforts in the research and development of military hardware and has scored big points rapidly.

In my opinion, the enhancement of Pakistan’s self-reliance in weapons and equipment and the strength of its armed forces is conducive to safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity, curbing the occurrence of regional wars or armed conflicts, and maintaining regional peace and stability,” Cheng Xizhong, former Defence attaché in South Asian countries and visiting professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law said in a statement.

He remarked that Pakistan’s military build-up is strongly supported by friendly countries in the region and the Middle East Muslim community.

“I have noticed in particular that, based on the spirit of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) and joint fight against terrorist and extremist forces by both countries, Russia and Pakistan are getting closer, and political and military ties are being knotted. Russia even have hold joint military exercises with Pakistan,” he added.

Cheng said that both Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador to India Nikolay R. Kudashev recently said that Russia would like to improve relations with Pakistan, which in fact has revealed an important strategic intention of Russia with foresight.

The development of relations between Russia and Pakistan is conducive to maintaining regional balance, because India is constantly approaching the United States.

He said that the enhancement of Pakistan’s military strength is also a strong guarantee for its economic development. Now, the regional power is trying to undermine Pakistan’s social stability, economic development and regional connectivity through “proxy war”.

Only by building a strong Pakistani national defence force, can the attempt of the regional power be effectively defeated.

It may be mentioned here that last week, Pakistan conducted a successful test launch of Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The missile is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 2,750 kms. The test flight is aimed at revalidating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system.