India’s growing military budget a threat to Pakistan: Janjua

islamabad — India’s massive military spending and acquisition of weapons threatens Pakistan and its efforts for regional peace, National Security Advisor Lt-Gen. (retd) Nasir Khan Janjua said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a seminar here on “Pakistan’s role in promoting global peace and security”, Gen. Janjua said Pakistan is a peace-loving country but its efforts to promote regional peace are hindered by “Indian desire to acquire military and strategic weapons”, Dawn online reported.

He was of the view that the two neighbouring countries are nuclear armed and cannot live in an environment of hostility towards each other, especially when both are fighting terror on their soil.

“Western powers desire better relations with India due to a shared anti-China policy despite the fact that a peaceful region and world is in Chinese interest and China has no ill-will towards any of these countries,” said the former general.

Janjua’s statement coincided with the release of an annual report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), which listed the 15 nations with highest military spending.

India featured number six on the list, up a rank from its position of the previous year.

Data revealed by Sipri says India’s military spending in 2015 stood at $51.3 billion, an increase of 0.4 per cent over the previous year. Pakistan’s military spending stood at $9.5 billion over the same period. —