ISLAMABAD, May 17: The ambassadors and representatives of the European Union countries were briefed here on Friday by a senior defence ministry official about the prevailing security situation in the region with special reference to deployment of troops by India on Pakistan’s eastern borders.
Secretary Defence Hamid Nawaz Khan informed the EU diplomats that since India was continuously increasing its defence budget, it was difficult for Pakistan to cut its defence spending.
The defence secretary reportedly told the EU ambassadors and representatives that India had increased its defence budget by 14 per cent this year which was earlier enhanced by 28 per cent and that under these circumstances Pakistan should not be expected to go for unilateral cut in defence spending.
Sources said that the EU representatives were also told that the increased Indian defence budget was more than Pakistan’s national budget, which showed New Delhi’s hegemonic design against its neighbours.
The secretary defence solicited support of the European Community in particular and the world community in general for the Kashmiri people in getting their right of self-determination.
The detailed briefing covered all the aspects including the current stand-off between Pakistan and India and its repercussion on the regional peace and security. He also briefed them about the situation in Afghanistan.
Hamid Nawaz stressed the need for an active role by the international community for defusing the tension between the two South Asian neighbours.
Pakistan and India, he pointed out, had failed to resolve the Kashmir issue bilaterally and that it was now high time for the international community to come forward and mediate on this issue.
The diplomats showed a lot of interest in the briefing and the Spanish Ambassador who was currently the head of the Group of the Ambassadors of the EU countries in Islamabad, thanked the secretary defence on behalf of his colleagues for arranging the briefing which he termed both educative and revealing.
Some of them also asked questions relating to the current border situation. The briefing was attended by the ambassadors of Spain, Greece, Sweden, Italy, charges d’affaires of Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Finland and senior diplomats from France, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
