WASHINGTON: Pakistan reminded the international community on Saturday that it did not introduce nuclear weapons to South Asia, India did.

In a statement issued here, Pakistan Embassy rejected suggestions by the US media that Pakistan was “irresponsibly building its nuclear arsenal”.

“Pakistan was not the first to introduce nuclear weapons in South Asia, India was,” the statement said.

It also referred to recent reports, which confirmed that India continued to grow its nuclear programme by testing missiles with longer ranges.

India was also working on fissile material production facilities, and investing in a nuclear triad that inevitably requires a larger nuclear arsenal, the embassy said.

Read: India successfully test-fires nuclear capable missile Agni-IV

“India also propounds war-fighting doctrines while being ascendant as one of the world’s largest importers of military hardware. A special waiver for India for nuclear trade is another destabilising step,” it said.

It reminded the international community that Pakistan had for decades offered proposals to India for nuclear restraint, including a strategic restraint regime.

As late as September, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made fresh proposals for peace in his speech at the United Nations.

However, India has refused to engage. “Peace can be better served by focusing the world’s attention on India’s lack of constructive response to Pakistan’s proposals, its investment in destabilising technologies and its aggressive posturing,” said embassy spokesman Nadeem Hotiana.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015

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