Pakistan opposes India-Russia S-400 deal

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan said on Thursday it opposed the India-Russia S-400 air defense missile system deal, the foreign office said.

"We are opposed to any arms race in South Asia and have been proposing measures for promoting restraint in both the nuclear and conventional dominos," Mohammad Faisal, Foreign Ministry spokesman, told journalists during his weekly media briefing.

He said that countries providing arms to New Delhi should ensure that their assistance should not disturb the balance of power in the region.

"We cannot remain oblivious to these developments and are firmly committed to maintaining credible minimum deterrence by taking any measure necessary," Faisal added.

India inked a deal of $5 billion to purchase an S-400 air defense missile system when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on Oct. 5.

Both rival countries have been blaming each other since last month, India called off a foreign ministers meeting, which had been scheduled in New York during the UN General Assembly.

Relations between the two nosedived after India accused Pakistan of harboring links to gunmen who killed 19 soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in September 2016. Islamabad has rejected the claim.

Since their partition in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two over Kashmir.