ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan’s nuclear capability is for self-defence and it remains ready to discuss arms control and restraint measures with India, the Foreign Office said Thursday.
“Pakistan’s conventional, military and nuclear capability is solely for self-defence and we are committed to credible minimum deterrence,” Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a weekly press briefing in response to a question on India acquiring predators for surveillance.
The Spokesman said there was an increased understanding at the international level of Pakistan’s genuine concern regarding rapidly growing Indian conventional and nuclear capabilities, and their offensives and military doctrines such as cold start.
He said Pakistan being a peace-loving nation was opposed to conventional or nuclear arms race in the region and maintenance of peace and stability in South Asia was the cornerstone of Pakistan’s policy.
“We took note of President Obama’s call on both Pakistan and India to work together with a view to ensure that their military doctrines do not move in the wrong direction,” he said.
He said Pakistan’s proposal for strategic regime can provide a basis for mutually agreed restraint measures and avoidance of unnecessary arms race in the region.
The Spokesman stressed that the limited resources of Pakistan and India should be channeled to meeting the social needs of their people.
About the status of foreign secretary-level talks between Pakistan and India, the spokesman said the two sides were in touch with each other and modalities were being worked out.
He recalled the decision on holding of talks was taken during the surprise visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan in last December on his way back from Afghanistan.
