In an address to the United Nations on Saturday, a senior Pakistanidiplomat emphasized his country’s stance on avoiding a detrimental armsrace in South Asia. Pakistan is committed to maintaining a minimum credibledeterrence in the region, particularly in light of India’s acquisition ofboth conventional and non-conventional weaponry.
This diplomat, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, spoke at the General Assembly’sFirst Committee, which is responsible for addressing disarmament andinternational security issues.
Ambassador Hashmi voiced his criticism toward major world powers for theirfailure to adhere to their nuclear disarmament obligations. He painted aconcerning picture of the global security landscape, highlighting thewidespread disregard for the UN charter. He also alluded to negativesecurity developments in South Asia, implicitly referencing India’ssignificant weapon acquisitions.
Hashmi further noted that these developments had empowered a neighboringstate to Pakistan, suggesting that it was attempting to assert dominancenot only in South Asia but also in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.
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Pakistan, he stressed, could not remain indifferent to these evolvingsecurity dynamics and the clear and present threats they posed to itssecurity.
Pakistan’s commitment to a strategy of “minimum credible deterrence” wasunderscored by Ambassador Hashmi. This approach involves maintaining thesmallest possible arsenal of weapons that remains sufficiently intimidatingto deter potential aggressors. He reiterated Pakistan’s dedication to theoverarching goal of fostering a peaceful and stable South Asia, even in theface of ongoing provocations and threats.