India widening spectrum of conflict: Pakistan think-tank

Thibk-tank said India was trying to contain and squeeze Pakistan in terms of its foreign relations, economy and security

A think-tank of Pakistan specialising in defence and strategic stability affairs has said that India was widening the spectrum of conflict and the Islamabad's response was being constrained by poor governance.

Referring to Indian attempts to disturb Pakistan's sub-conventional stability by sponsoring terrorism in the country, President of Strategic Vision Institute (SVI)  Zafar Iqbal Cheema asserted that New Delhi was expanding the spectrum of conflict in Islamabad.

"Pakistan is militarily well equipped to maintain an adequate conventional and nuclear deterrence equilibrium vis-a-vis India. There are no major worries in military or nuclear realm as far as Pakistan's preparedness is concerned for dealing with threats from India," Dawn quoted him as saying.

He was of the opinion that fresh political and diplomatic challenges, weak governance would hinder adequate response.

"There is a consensus that the country is suffering from poor governance which does not enable us to deal with non-military challenges to national security," he said.

He pressed that India was trying to contain and squeeze Pakistan in terms of its foreign relations, economy and security.

Cheema was talking at the conclusion of a three-day seminar on 'National Security, Deterrence and Regional Stability in South Asia' on Wednesday, which was attended by a number of other defence experts, academicians, policy analysts and retired senior officials.

Meanwhile, Zafar Nawaz Jaspal of Quaid-e-Azam University expressed the concern that India was focused on encircling Pakistan.

He added that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan and upcoming trips to Qatar and U.S. indicate the Indian government's policy direction and priorities.