Pakistan voices concern over S Asia’s strategic imbalanceDAWN.COM | World | Pakistan voices concern over S Asia’s strategic imbalance
Tuesday, 13 Oct, 2009
A US Army soldier in the 3/509 of the 25th Infantry Division patrols at sunrise October 8, 2009 in Dabay, Afghanistan. — Photo by AFP
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‘Pakistan-India ties should not be hostage to one issue’
‘Pakistan-India ties should not be hostage to one issue’
UNITED NATIONS: Reaffirming its desire for a peaceful and stable South Asia, Pakistan has expressed concern over the growing strategic imbalance in the region that included the recent introduction of nuclear submarines and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
‘We expect extra-regional powers to adopt even-handed policies in South Asia and avoid steps that undermine the regional strategic balance,’ Ambassador Zamir Akram, the Pakistani delegate, told the General Assembly's First Committee, which deals with disarmament and security issues.
‘Our vision for South Asia is anchored in a security architecture based on preventive diplomacy, confidence building and conflict resolution,’ said Akram, who is Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN's European offices in Geneva.
As a responsible nuclear-weapon state, he added, Pakistan was pursuing a policy of credible minimum deterrence. Its proposals for a strategic restraint regime had three interlocking elements of conflict resolution, nuclear and missile restraint and conventional balance. That warranted serious consideration and the support of the international community.
Video Report from Afghanistan: How the U.S. Counterinsurgency Campaign Is Failing
At a conference in Portugal over the weekend, NATO countries agreed to hand over responsibility for Afghanistan’s security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014. In his speech, President Obama claimed there has been significant progress in the fight against the Taliban. But reports from the ground in Afghanistan question these upbeat claims about the ongoing NATO operation. Last spring, NATO launched a major operation in the Taliban-held town of Marjah. The offensive was supposed to showcase America’s new counterinsurgency campaign and demonstrate that victory is still possible. Independent filmmaker Rick Rowley of Big Noise Films recently traveled to Marjah and discovered the counterinsurgency campaign in crisis. [includes rush transcript]
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
DAWN.COM | World | Pakistan voices concern over S Asia’s strategic imbalance
DAWN.COM | World | Pakistan voices concern over S Asia’s strategic imbalance
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