Pakistan only hurdle to Indian 'hegemony' in South Asia: Sartaj Aziz

He however maintained that Pakistan has rejected this hegemony and has effectively protected its sovereignty and vital interests

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has asserted that India has always tried to 'maintain its hegemony' in the South Asian region but Islamabad has effectively stood in New Delhi's way.

"But Pakistan rejected this hegemony and has effectively protected its interests and its stance over Kashmir, nuclear deterrence and conventional balance," The Dawn quoted Aziz as saying in an interview with Samaa TV.

He maintained that "protecting Pakistan's sovereignty and vital interests is a great achievement as a nation".

This comes in the wake of the upcoming Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) meeting in Seoul on June 23rd and 24th where the membership bid of India and Pakistan will be raised.

Earleir, Aziz reportedly had telephonic conversations with his counterparts in Russia, South Korea and New Zealand in a bid to get their nod for Pakistan's NSG membership.

In its case against India's bid in the NSG, Pakistan has claimed that adding India in the elite group could 'affect the strategic stability of South Asia'.

Meanwhile, with China playing a dampener saying that India's admission to the elite NSG is not on the agenda of the grouping which began its plenary session in Seoul yesterday, the United States has called on the participating governments of the NSG to support India's application.