ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Pakistan on Monday reaffirmed President General Pervez Musharraf’s statement last week that “we can’t sit idly by as India presses ahead with its aggressive and ambitious military build-up, primarily aimed at Pakistan”.

When asked at his weekly press briefing whether Pakistan had decided to go back on its repeated assurances that Islamabad would not enter into an arms race with India, the foreign ministry spokesman said: “There is no new position we have taken”. He said what the president had said was that if India continued with its aggressive arms build-up, Pakistan had a “potent threat from India” and had to take defensive measures.

“It is not only a perceived threat, rather it is a real threat. Therefore, as we have been saying from time to time, we shall maintain competitive edge and we shall maintain balance,” explicated Spokesman Masood Khan.

He said the president had said that Pakistan had to rectify its nuclear and conventional strategic imbalance with India in 1998 when New Delhi carried out its nuclear tests.

The spokesman said the president had underscored in his statement during his visit to South Korea that the strategic balance was being disrupted again by India with defence purchases. “We shall take necessary steps to rectify strategic imbalance. We can’t sit idly by as India presses ahead with its aggressive and ambitious military build-up which primarily targets Pakistan”, he added.

In reply to a question, the spokesman said no one could reduce one’s conventional capabilities below a certain point. There had to be conventional balance which was the guarantor of peace and security in the region.

Asked about Pakistan’s economic viability in the event of an arms race with India, the spokesman answered: “We shall spend as much as it is necessary for defence. There can be no direct linkage between the economy and spending from treasury on our defence capability”.

Answering a question, Mr Khan said though no direct confirmation from Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had been received about his participation in the Saarc summit, there had been official indications, particularly a statement by India’s external affairs minister, of the premier’s presence in the Saarc summit.

The spokesman said Islamabad had no knowledge whether Indian President Abdul Kalam might attend the summit to be held in Islamabad in January.

He said Saudi Arabia had not asked for any security assistance from Pakistan after Sunday’s bomb blast in Riyadh.

Asked about the latest information on the reported bugging of the Pakistan diplomatic chancery and embassy in London, the spokesman said the British government had not yet provided definitive information whether the bugging was conducted at the behest of the government or its secret service MI5.

He urged British authorities to break their silence, saying Pakistanis were “aghast” and angry at the alleged operation, adds AFP.

“So far the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) has said that they do not comment on intelligence stories... We have drawn a blank from other parts of the British government,” he said.

“This is a bit surprising. We would want a response because we believe that MI5 and the Scotland Yard are not satellites above the British government.”

Islamabad has sought confirmation from the British government that Home Secretary David Blunkett authorized the alleged espionage operation.

“We have not received any information or response from the British government and we think this must be done expeditiously because there’s a lot of consternation and anger here in Pakistan about this incident,” Mr Khan said. “In fact, the ball is in their court and they have to tell us what actually happened. They can determine very easily whether Mr Blunkett had “in violation of the Vienna Conventions,” he said.