ISLAMABAD, 13 July 2004 — Pakistan expressed concern yesterday at the sharp increase in India’s defense spending, saying it could trigger an arms race between the South Asian neighbors.
Last week India increased defense spending to $16.8 billion, a rise of 16.7 percent over the amount fixed by the previous government in February.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said the scale of the increase was not justified by recent moves to improve ties in South Asia, including talks between India and China and thawing relations between old foes India and Pakistan.
“Naturally, this would accentuate the asymmetry that we already have in the conventional sphere between Pakistan and India,” Khan told a news conference.
“I would like to say this would, wittingly or unwittingly, advertently or inadvertently, accelerate the arms race between the two countries, which we could have avoided.”
India defended one of its highest peacetime hikes in annual defense expenditure by saying the funds were needed to honor a slew of arms contracts finalized by the BJP-led government of former Premier Atal Behari Vajpayee.
But Masood Khan said: “There is no need, no doctrine justifying arms build-up.
“This trend in their budget runs contrary to the regional developments, which were very salutary, and it is a cause of concern to us and I am sure it is a cause of concern to several other countries in the neighborhood.”
