A Pakistani official has accused India of making the South Asian region more ‘dangerous and unstable’ through its ‘reckless attitude’, Dawn reported.

An adviser to strategic plans division, Khalid Banuri,  alleged that India brought nuclear weapons to the region and was now “exponentially expanding its arsenal”.

Speaking at a webinar on ‘Pakistan’s nuclear capability: guarantor of peace in South Asia options’ hosted by the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), Banuri said India did not subsequently show a ‘responsible behavior’, thus making the hard-earned equilibrium tenuous.

The event was held in connection with the 23rd anniversary of 1998 nuclear tests.

Pakistan, Banuri added, was a reluctant entrant to the nuclear weapons club and it did so for the sake of restoring regional strategic stability. India, he said, did not subsequently show responsible behavior making the hard-earned equilibrium tenuous.

Former permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament and the United Nations, Zamir Akram, said India had vastly expanded its conventional and strategic capabilities through American support in the name of countering China.

However, the new capabilities can also be used against Pakistan which therefore needs to qualitatively upgrade its strategic deterrence – one that could potentially deny India the first strike option.

(SAM)