NEW DELHI: India views with ‘serious concern’ growing defence ties between China and Pakistan and says it will have to bolster its own military capabilities to meet the challenge.
“It is a matter of serious concern for us. The main thing is we have to increase our capability — that is the only answer,” Defence Minister A.K. Antony told reporters here on Friday night.
The comments followed reports that China planned to accelerate supply of 50 new JF-17 Thunder multi-role combat jets to Pakistan under a co-production pact.
Mr Antony alleged that safe havens for militants in Pakistan was another ‘main concern’ for New Delhi and asked Islamabad to ‘disband and destroy’ all guerilla outfits if it sincerely wanted to improve relations with India.
Mr Antony declined to comment on remarks by senior Indian military leaders that India had the capability to launch a strike like the one the US carried out in Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that India will not undertake such a strike.
But a leaked diplomatic cable published earlier in the week quoted India’s home minister as saying in 2009 that India would have to respond to another attack on its soil by Pakistan-based militants.—AFP
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