ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Pakistan said on Sunday that it was against an open-ended arms race in South Asia. Reacting to reports of a surface-to-surface missile test by India earlier in the day, Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said a strategic restraint was in the interest of both India and Pakistan.
Mr Khan said India had given prior notification of the test to Pakistan's High Commissioner in New Delhi in accordance with an existing understanding. He said Pakistan had also conducted a series of tests to validate technical parameters of its missile systems in the recent past.
The spokesman said Pakistan and India were committed to working towards strategic stability and the two countries would hold further talks on this subject in the near future.
INDIAN CHARGES REJECTED: The spokesman rejected the Indian allegations relating to cross-border terrorism, but said it would listen to Delhi's point of view without compromising its stance on Kashmir.
Reacting to Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh's remarks, Mr Khan said Mr Singh expressed his intent of what he wanted to discuss with Pakistan's foreign minister in the ministerial-level talks scheduled to be held in the first week of September.
"Our side will hear out the Indian side, as we have always done," he said. Mr Khan said the Indian minister had repeated allegations of the so-called cross-border terrorism.
"We reject these allegations which are being used as a smokescreen for diverting attention from the core issue. What is really important and pressing is the dismantling of the apparatus that supports gross and systematic violations of human rights in held Kashmir."
He said Pakistan welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's message of goodwill and co-operation to newly-elected Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, and reciprocated his hope that "we should take forward the process of dialogue in a constructive manner".
About the list of wanted Indians, the spokesman categorically said that there were no wanted Indian suspects on Pakistani soil. "In the last round of talks on terrorism held in Islamabad, lists were exchanged by both sides, but such matters are not discussed through the media," he said.
On press reports that India had proposed some 71 confidence-building measures to Pakistan, Mr Khan said: "Let's not focus on quantity, but quality. This is not a numbers game."
He said Pakistan had also presented a number of proposals to India. "All proposals are on the table. All measures have to be discussed, chaffed and winnowed."
Mr Khan said there was a pivotal need to create durable peace and security through resolution of all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesman said no issue could be swept under the carpet.