SINGAPORE, June 4: The divided region of Kashmir is key to a permanent peace between Pakistan and India, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Ehsanul Haq said on Sunday and accused New Delhi of starting a nuclear arms race in South Asia.

Gen Haq told a security conference, a major annual get-together of defence ministers and officials, that Pakistan was committed to peace with India, noting that the two countries had agreed on several confidence-building measures, such as more people-to-people contacts.

But “CBMs cannot be an end in themselves,” he said. “Any number of confidence-building measures would turn out to be futile, as long as there is no movement on the core issue of Kashmir. In fact, resolution of the issue of Kashmir itself would be the biggest CBM of all,” he emphasised.

A few Indian generals were among the audience at his speech.

The chairman JCSC said a final settlement on Kashmir “shall require a solution, which is acceptable to all three stakeholders — Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris. For this, all sides will need to demonstrate courage, sincerity and flexibility.”

During a question-answer session later, an Indian general questioned Pakistan’s nuclear programme and its democratic credentials.

Gen Haq did not answer the Indian general directly, but defended the country’s nuclear programme and called the Dr A.Q. Khan episode a “sordid tale”.

He, however, maintained that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme was in response to India’s programme, which started after a test in 1974. India subsequently tested another nuclear device in 1998, prompting a similar test by Pakistan.

“We did not introduce nuclear weapons into South Asia. Somebody else did that,” Gen Haq said. We did not siphon off nuclear material from internationally provided nuclear facilities. Somebody else did that. We didn’t retest nuclear weapons in South Asia in 1998. Somebody else did that.”

“We didn’t test nuclear weapons even for 24 years after 1974,” he pointed out.

Gen Haq defended his country’s struggle against terrorism, saying Pakistan had committed more forces and garnered more success in the global war on terror than any other country.

Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and security forces have provided “more support, captured more terrorists, and committed more troops than any other nation in the global war on terror,” he said.—AP