ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday that India s hegemonic pretensions presented a clear danger to Pakistan s security and regional stability.
Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, he said India has resorted to war-mongering and issued nuclear threats for short-term “domestic electoral gains.”
The minister said New Delhi refused to bilaterally engage in dialogue and rejected proposals aimed at risk reduction, confidence-building and nuclear and missile restraint.
Qureshi said Pakistan desired peace and strategic stability in order to focus on its socio-economic development agenda.
He said our conduct continued to be defined by restraint and responsibility, and the avoidance of an arms race. “Pakistan, however, cannot remain oblivious to the evolving security dynamics in its immediate neighbourhood.”