Islamabad, Jan 13, IRNA — A Pakistani nuclear body Wednesday slammed India’s nuclear and militarization ambitions and said it would affect regional peace and security, officials said.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani presided over the meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) which reviewed matters of strategic importance to Pakistan, the PM office said.
It observed that instead of responding positively to Pakistan’s proposal for a Strategic Restraint Regime in South Asia, India continues to pursue an ambitious militarization programme and offensive military doctrines, a statement said.
Massive inductions of advanced weapon systems, including installation of ABMs, build-up of nuclear arsenal and delivery systems through ongoing and new programmes, assisted by some external quarters, offensive doctrines like ‘Cold Start’ and similar accumulations in the conventional realm, tend to destabilize the regional balance.
This relentless pursuit of military preponderance will have severe consequences for peace and security in South Asia as well as for the Indian Ocean region. Pakistan cannot be oblivious to these developments, the NCA said.
The body took serious note of recent Indian statements about its capability to conduct conventional military strikes under a nuclear umbrella. “Such irresponsible statements reflected a hegemonic mindset, oblivious of dangerous implications of adventurism in a nuclearized context,” the statement said.
The NCA further noted that the India-specific exemption made by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and subsequent nuclear fuel supply agreements with several countries, would enable India to produce substantial quantities of fissile material for nuclear weapons by freeing up its domestic resources.
The NCA reiterated that, while continuing to act with responsibility and avoiding an arms race, Pakistan will not compromise on its security interests and the imperative of maintaining a credible minimum deterrence.
The meeting reviewed plans for civil nuclear power generation under IAEA safeguards as part of national energy security strategy to ensure sustained economic growth. It welcomed the renewed international interest in nuclear power generation to meet the challenge of climate change.
As a country with advanced fuel cycle capability, Pakistan is in a position to provide nuclear fuel cycle services under IAEA safeguards, and to participate in any non-discriminatory nuclear fuel supply assurance mechanism.
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