Pakistan warned yesterday India’s massive arms purchases from Israel and from all other sources in the world would have a destabilising impact in South Asia.
| Not as destabilizing as a constant swarm of jihadis across the border, but still destabilizing... |
Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan issued the warning at a press briefing on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to India, the first by an Israeli leader to that country in 11 years. Reports quoting Indian officials have said the two sides could sign a $1 billion contract for the sale of three Phalcon advanced airborne early radar system that would give India a clear edge over its rival Pakistan. Khan said Sharon’s visit would be "very negative" if it was aimed at building an anti-Muslim axis.
| How about if it's aimed at building an axis of self-preservation? |
"I think if this axis is directed against Muslims all over the world and if it is directed against Pakistan and Pakistani Muslims, we would be most concerned and it would be a very negative development." He said India’s acquisition of arms from Israel would disturb the conventional arms balance between Pakistan and India. "It will have destabilising effects in the region and we are deeply concerned about it. We have warned against dangerous consequences of such collaborations between India and Israel."
| Consequences such as sending swarms of jihadis across the line of control, no doubt... |
The spokesman said India was buying weapons "from all over the world, from all directions and from all sources. We don’t know what they intend to do with these weapons, because they are saying they have friendly relations with Russia and China. Of course they don’t need all these weapons just to target Pakistan. "Are they going to use these weapons beyond the Indian Ocean? Are they going to unleash these weapons in their immediate neighbourhood? These are some of the unanswered questions." The spokesman said that Pakistan was not considering recognising Israel.
| No, no! Certainly not! The fundos would eat us up! Besides, they're... ummm... ucky." |
Khan also expressed concern over reports on induction of nuclear capable surface-to-surface Prithvi missile in the Indian army. "On the one hand they talk of peace and on the other they are inducting weapons to target Pakistan."
| Maybe they read some of the things Hafiz Saeed has to say? |
He said Pakistan "reserves the right to maintain minimum credible deterrence." Pakistan was against arms race in South Asia and wanted a "genuine dialogue" with India for which it had been regularly making peace overtures, the spokesman said. Khan said the military exercises by Indian troops in Ladakh were being conducted within a "disputed territory" and they would be counter-productive.
| "Don't make us do something stoopid..." |
Hamid Gul, a retired army general and former head of Pakistan’s spy agency, said Sharon’s visit and the U.S.-approved deals were disconcerting. "After using Pakistan as a front-line state in the war against terrorism, America has started encouraging Israel to sign new defence deals with India," he said. "America’s policy will kill the conventional balance in the region."
He said this like it’s a bad thing. |