India expresses concern over Pakistan's nuclear arms stockpile
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, June 1, IRNA -- India on Monday expressed concern over US reports that Pakistan has a large nuclear weapon stockpile and wanted the international community to exert pressure on it to cap its nuclear capability.
"We (India) are concerned because they (Pakistan) are crossing the minimum deterrent threshold. We hope that the international pressure will be exerted on Pakistan to make sure that they retain only minimum deterrence levels," Minister of State for Defense M M Pallam Raju told reporters here, soon after assuming office for the second term.
Turning to China, Raju said that India is keeping an eye on growing influence of China in Pakistan and other neighboring countries and steps are taken that it does not pose a threat to India.
"There is no shortfall in preparedness from our side in this regard. Chinese influence is not just in Pakistan. They are trying to develop a port in Sri Lanka and in Myanmar. And we are well aware of all these developments. We are taking steps that Chinese influence does not pose a threat," he added.
Modernization of armed forces and improving the working conditions of the soldiers will be his priorities during his second tenure, said Pallam Raju adding that Defense Research will be his another priority area.
Referring to Defense Public Sector Undertakings, Raju said that the government would like to make them of world-class so that they could meet the requirements of Armed Forces, efficiently and timely.
On private sector participation in Defense Production, the minister said the new offset policy will expedite the process.
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