ISLAMABAD, April 5: National Security Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Nasir Khan Janjua has said that India’s heavy military spending and acquisition of weapons threatens Pakistan and its efforts for regional peace.
Speaking at a seminar titled ‘Pakistan’s role in promoting global peace and security’ here on Tuesday, Janjua said that Pakistan is a peace-loving country but its efforts to promote regional peace are hindered by Indian desire to acquire military and strategic weapons.
He was of the view that the two neighbouring countries are nuclear armed and cannot live in an environment of hostility towards each other, especially when both are fighting terror on their soil.
“Western powers desire better relations with India due to a shared anti-China policy despite the fact that a peaceful region and world is in Chinese interest and China has no ill will towards any of these countries,” said the former military man.
Janjua’s statement coincided with the release of an annual report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which listed the 15 highest spending nations on military. India featured number six on the list, up a rank from its position of the previous year.
Data revealed by Sipri puts Pakistan’s military expenditure in 2015 at $9.5 billion, higher than the previous year’s $8.7 billion.
India’s military spending in 2015 however, came in at $51.3 billion, an increase of 0.4 per cent over the previous year.-Online
