AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan on Wednesday criticised the latest hike in India's defence budget as out of sync with the peace process launched by the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. The foreign office also warned that Pakistan could not remain indifferent to the increased expenditure and would take measures to meet any challenges to national security.
India on Tuesday hiked military spending by 7.2 percent to 890 billion rupees (19.8 billion dollars) in its budget for the year to March 2007.
The increase is “out of sync with the developments taking place in the bilateral and regional framework,” Pakistani foreign office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.
“This is especially so, when Pakistan and India are engaged in the ongoing composite dialogue process to peacefully resolve all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and ensure peace and stability in the region,” she said in a statement.
“Pakistan will take all measures to put in place a credible defence to meet any challenges to the security of the country.”
India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir which both claim in full and hold in parts.
The neighbours launched a peace process in January 2004 to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir disputed through dialogue.
