South Asia, NASA Map
Pakistan is ringing alarm bells over what it calls New Delhi’s massive clandestine nuclear arsenal build-up as well its precarious nuclearization of the Indian ocean.
Chief Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz has said the latest Indian moves have further destabilized the South Asian region and the ocean of immense importance to the world while the Foreign Ministry has said “ India has built a secret nuclear city.”
Islamabad, also a nuclear-armed country, says India has accumulated a stockpile of nuclear weapons which threatens to undermine the strategic balance of power in South Asia.
Speaking in Karachi on Saturday, Aziz, who advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs, said the Indian ocean faces a huge threat in the form of militarization, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, increased missile capabilities and power projection by foreign militaries.
“This trend is likely to intensify in the coming years,” he said in a warning at the ‘International maritime conference on strategic outlook in Indian Ocean region, 2030 and beyond — evolving challenges and strategies.’
“We are aware of our national interests and every effort will be made to strengthen our capacity to ensure that we remain ready to meet the emerging maritime security challenges. For us, to remain oblivious of the developments taking place in the Indian Ocean region is not an option.”
Both Islamabad and New Delhi have missile delivery capability to counter threats both at sea and over land. Each is estimated to have an arsenal of well over 100 nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, prospects for peace dialogue between the two South Asian neighbors remains dim, as Indian prime minister Nardendra Modi uses anti-Pakistani rhetoric to win Indian state elections, while Kashmir remains a flash point in the wake of last year’s violence, and a crippling loss of civil liberties in the disputed territory.
Last month, Islamabad successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable submarine-launched cruise missile, Babur-III. Before that India had tested the nuclear-capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile from its nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant.
Pakistan has high stakes in stability of the Indian Ocean as 95 per cent of its trade took place through sea. The country has a coastline over 1,000km long, an Exclusive Economic Zone of around 300,000 square kilometres, the Karachi port and the newly built deep sea port of Gwadar.
Islamabad has vowed to maintain its capable presence in the area.
“The un-demarcated borders in the Sir Creek have the potential to cast a shadow on maritime security,”Aziz said.
“We have to maintain significant naval presence to keep our sea lanes open and defend our interests whether on land or on the sea —- Pakistan has a strategic stake in the peaceful navigation and security of the Indian Ocean region.”
The adviser highlighted the importance of the area by citing a number of trade and energy statistics. The third-largest ocean, he said, provides coastline to more than 30 countries, the Indian Ocean provides connectivity not only to important regions in Asia, particularly South Asia and the Middle East, and Africa, it also connects Australia with Europe. Regular dialogue between stakeholders on security and safety has never been so important.”
Additionally, an estimated 55 pc of oil reserves of the world and 40pc of gas were located in the region.
“Today some 40 pc of the global trade passes through the Indian Ocean. With the rise of Asia as the global powerhouse, the region indeed offers the unique platform for today’s globalised world as an attractive trade route. At present ports in the Indian Ocean handle about 30pc global trade and half the world’s container traffic. But the establishment of a new system of routes and ports will further increase the economic importance of this ocean,” Aziz noted.
