ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday said the statement of the Indian defence minister questining his country’s no-first-use of nuclear weapons policy was a “manifestation of India’s doublespeak and a threat to the region’s peace and security”.

“Such statement from a person no less than the defence minister of a country that has repeatedly and constantly heightened tensions with aggressive posture is a threat to regional and global peace,” Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said at a weekly press briefing.

Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar had stated last week that “instead of saying that India won’t use nuclear weapons first, it should say it is a responsible nuclear power”.

The spokesman said India’s claim of ‘no first use of nuclear weapons’ could not substitute the restraint measures as proposed in Pakistan’s standing offer of ‘Strategic Restraint Regime’.

“Pakistan has long maintained that India’s ambiguous no first use declaration is not verifiable and amounts to nothing,” he said.

The spokesman said that Pakistan had time and again cautioned the international community of “Indian tendency towards adventurism”.

Spokesman says Pakistan has time and again cautioned the international community of Indian tendency towards adventurism

Against this backdrop, he added, signing of nuclear deals by some countries was a matter of concern as “it had only reinforced arrogance and belligerence to the Indian conduct in the region and beyond”.

He said that India’s atrocities and worst crimes in held Kashmir and its non-stop ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary also testified to this fact.

“India has deliberately escalated tensions at the LoC and Working Boundary in an attempt to divert world’s attention from the grave human rights violations committed by Indian security forces,” he added.

The spokesman said Pakistan had no desire to escalate the tension. However, the country was forced by the Indian aggression to retaliate, he said, adding that the restraint shown by Pakistan had also been appreciated by the international community.

About the interior ministry’s decision to expel staff of the Pak-Turk Educational Foundation, the spokesman said that the organisation, which was registered as a charity entity in the parent country, Turkey, was banned by the government, and subsequently had no legitimacy of its branches’ working abroad.

However, he said the Pakistan government was fully conscious of the situation and would take appropriate measures in the interest of students and employees of the Pak-Turk schools.

About the Nuclear Suppliers Group’s meeting held in Vienna on Nov 11, the spokesman said majority of the members favoured a non-discriminatory approach and were considering a criterion for candidates for new membership. This has resonated Pakistan’s stance as it appeared as a strong candidate for the NSG membership, he added.

When asked about the upcoming meeting of Russia, Pakistan and China on Afghanistan’s issues next month, the spokesman said the objective was to discuss the spillover effect of non-state elements present in Afghanistan.

He said that Pakistan attached importance to all initiatives aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan, the region and beyond.

About Pakistan’s decision to participate in the Heart of Asia Conference to be held in India, he said Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz would attend the meeting in view of Pakistan’s interest for Afghan peace.

Published in Dawn November 19th, 2016