Hira Irfan
Relations between India and Pakistan have been complex due to a number of historical and political events. However there have been numerous attempts to improve the relationship-notably, the Shimla summit, the Agra summit and the Lahore summit. But whenever there was a thaw in the offing between the two neighbors in the past, cross border-terrorism had scuttle the process before it could have even begun. The November 2008 Mumbai carnage, skirmishes on the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir and now the Pathankot incident were part of this familiar pattern. Every time India has witnessed any terrorist attack in her territory, he has immediately blamed Pakistan without providing any solid evidence. On the other hand India pretends to be against terrorism but supports terrorism in the form of providing bomb-making material to IS. Seven Indian companies are among those from 20 countries named in a list whose components were used by the ISIS to make explosives, an EU-mandated study suggesting that more work needs to be done to track the flow of chemicals and other items to the terror group. The study by Conflict Armament Research (CAR) showed that 51 companies from 20 countries such as Turkey, India, Brazil, and the US produced, sold or received the over 700 components used by ISIS to build improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Whereas India is the second largest supplier of bomb-making material to IS.
At the same time Pakistan emphasises for the establishment of Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR) in South Asia, India has once again emerged as the world’s largest arms importer. The latest report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reveals that India is world’s top arms importer, with 14% global arms imports. The report also indicate that, Russia is world’s top arms exporter (supplier), garnering 70% of the Indian market. The strategic restraint regime, proposed by Pakistan, following 1998 nuclear detonation by India and Pakistan aims to achieve three objectives like ensuring nuclear restraint, to bringing a conventional balance and settlement all outstanding disputes between Pakistan and India. However, the imports were significant enough to earn Pakistan a spot on the list of top global arms importer. Indian defence firms continue to struggle with the move from a buyer-seller relationship with foreign firms to one based on equal partnership and joint production. Since the Cold War, India has tried to increase its arms imports from the US and Western Europe as part of a broader strategy of diversifying suppliers. This works both ways: the US defence industry is very happy to find new buyers and new technologies. American defence giants such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing have been exploring potential business partners in India, attracted by the low-cost, well-educated, English speaking and technically sound workforce. The US is now India’s second largest arms supplier, accounting for 7% of the total.
India union budget assign $51 billion for the defence sector. The 13% increase in military budget is only going to ascend further for at least an entire decade till Delhi achieves its ‘Made-in-India dream’. Thanks to its habit of biting more than it can chew, India’s defence ministry will be surrendering 16% of its 2015-2016 budgets after failing to procure a deal envisaged in the plan. It is important to mention that, 51 billion dollar is such a humongous amount considering more than half of the population is under poverty line, access of basic hygiene is a dream farmer’s committing suicides. One can never expect any better when a person at helm is mass murderer of Innocents leading one of the most Racist nations of the world.
The fast growing military developments in India have intensified the existing Pakistani security dilemma, compelling Pakistan to make appropriate improvements to its conventional and strategic capabilities to achieve and keep a military balance. One must say again that Pakistan seeks balance, not parity with India and there is no arms race as far as Pakistan is concerned.One country’s deterrence, of course, can be another’s threat. All countries have a range of external and internal security concerns. But the region strategic stability does not come from weapons. Additionally, Weapons are not able to bring peace in any country. Stability comes from economic and people growth. Consequently, Instead of getting involved in the arms race and making irrational increases in defence budgets, rival states should spend money on those social sectors that need their immediate attention.
