India’s decision to buy Russia’s S-400 missile defense system could spark an arms race, Pakistan has claimed, urging its regional rival to ditch it for the sake of “stability” the same day it tested a new nuclear-capable missile.
Citing “concerns regarding the induction of ballistic missile defense systems in the region,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui told reporters on Thursday that the S-400 was a “destabilizing system” which could “undermine deterrence and stability in South Asia and lead to an unnecessary arms race.”
The Pakistani official also stressed that “the induction of [ballistic missile defense] should not lead to any false sense of security and any misadventure,” arguing that Pakistan “has the technological capability to ensure the continued efficacy of its deterrence.”
Ironically, the statement follows Islamabad’s latest surface-to-surface ballistic missile launch – testing its nuclear-capable Ghaznavi munition – which was successfully carried out this week as part of field training exercises.
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