KAKUL, April 15: Pakistan is opposed to arms race in the region and is pursuing a national security strategy to protect its integrity, solidarity and economic sovereignty, says Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

He was addressing the commissioning parade of batches of 113 Long Course, 18 Technical Graduate Course and 32nd Integrated Course at the Pakistan Military Academy here on Saturday.

Mr Aziz said that Pakistan’s possessed adequate strategic capability to meet current and future challenges.

“Peace is achieved through strength and not weakness and as a responsible nuclear-weapon state, we adhere to the doctrine of minimum credible deterrence,” he added.

He said that Pakistan had also developed a strong command and control structure to protect its strategic assets.

Prime Minister Aziz said a durable peace in South Asia required a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

“All of us need to demonstrate courage, flexibility, magnanimity, and above all, passion for a solution,” he added.

Reiterating Pakistan’s strong opposition to an arms race, he said that Islamabad had repeatedly sought a Strategic Restraint Regime since 1998.

The prime minister said: “Let us face the challenges (of the third millennium) with courage, unity and commitment.”

He said that Pakistan had always endeavoured for peace but the country should always be ready to defend its freedom.

Prime Minister Aziz said the government would not allow anyone to challenge the writ of the government.

“We will not tolerate the tendencies of state within state. We are determined to reinforce the government’s writ.”

The prime minister declared that a “tiny element, hostile to development and stability”, will not be allowed to impede the country’s path to progress.

“We are firm in our resolve to develop all those areas that have been neglected in the past and are relentless in our efforts to ameliorate the lot of our people,” he added.

“We will, God willing, build a smarter, peaceful, more vibrant, developed and progressive Pakistan and occupy our true position in the comity of nations. Together we can rise. Together we can build,” he said.

The prime minister said: “We are fortifying institutional democratic values and institutions. We have brought democracy to the door-step of the voters through devolution and empowerment of the people including women at the grass-roots level.”

Highlighting Pakistan’s geo-strategic position, he said that international compulsions had revitalised the country’s role for promotion of multi-sectoral intra-regional cooperation, providing basis for peace and prosperity in the area.