|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Pakistan Says It Opposes Regional Arms Race
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said yesterday he is opposed to an arms race between countries in the region, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 19). “As a nuclear weapons state, we adhere to the doctrine of minimum credible deterrence and are opposed to any nuclear proliferation as well as an arms race in the region,” he said at a Washington forum. Aziz is in Washington to meet with President George W. Bush and other administration officials. Pakistan, according to Aziz, is pressing for a “strategic restraint regime,” which would prevent an arms race and provide stability in the region. He said that nuclear tests by rival India forced Pakistan “to respond in order to establish a credible nuclear deterrence.” Aziz said that antiballistic missile tests would destabilize the region. India is reportedly developing intercontinental ballistic missiles. Pakistan has tested various missiles, while China has a number of short- and long-range missile options. Aziz said Pakistan supported Iran’s “right to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy” under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. Russia and China should play a “constructive” role in resolving the standoff with Tehran, he added. “We oppose any resort to use of force as this would aggravate the already troubled situation in the region,” he said. Pakistan is also “committed to the prevention of nuclear proliferation,” Aziz said. The country “has developed a strong command and control structure to protect our strategic assets as well as effective export controls to ensure against nuclear leakage” (P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Jan. 24).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
