India's defence acquisitions have complicated regional strategic stability: Pak

Pakistan on Thursday claimed that India's defence acquisitions have complicated the regional strategic stability, questioning New Delhi's candidature for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for allegedly violating the resolutions of the intergovernmental organisation.

"India's massive acquisition of weapons complicates the regional strategic stability. India's defence spending has increased by 12 percent in 2014-15 and stands at USD 38.35 billion. In this backdrop, the US-India ten-year defence agreement can only add to the conventional asymmetry and hence strategic instability. Pakistan firmly believes that confidence-building and arms reduction in the regional and sub-regional context to be of paramount importance," Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs official spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told the media.

"Pakistan has always advocated an effective and feasible reform of the UNSC based on consensus among the UN membership. A reformed security council should reflect interests of the wider UN membership. The UNSC is the primary organ of the United Nations for international peace and security. India is in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir... How does a country with such record qualify to become a permanent member of UNSC?" she added.

Aslam also spoke of China's importance in the regional context, adding that if Beijing pursues South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) membership, then Islamabad would back it to the hilt.

"China is a very important player globally as well as in this region. Criterion for membership of SAARC is geographical connectivity. China has physical contiguity of borders with four or five SAARC countries. China has an observer status in SAARC. I'm not aware that China has evinced interest in becoming a full member of SAARC but China's engagement has a positive and salutary impact on SAARC," she said.

"If China's role increases it would benefit the organisation as such," she added.