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Nuclear capability deterred India: Musharraf

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has claimed heightened international concerns over an Indo-Pak nuclear conflict and India's 'hesitation' to launch a 'limited war' on Pakistan demonstrated that strategic balance exists in South Asia and that Islamabad's conventional and nuclear capability could deter New Delhi from attacking.

"Heightened international concerns of a nuclear conflict in South Asia, and the hesitation, frustration and inability of India to attack Pakistan or conduct a so-called limited war, bear ample testimony to the fact that strategic balance exists in South Asia and that Pakistan's conventional and nuclear capability together deter aggression," he said on Tuesday night at a dinner hosted in honour of Pakistani nuclear scientists and engineers.

Claiming that the theory of deterrence has worked, Musharraf, however, did not refer to decisions taken by his government, particularly to halt cross-border infiltration of militants, which was demanded by India.

He said Pakistan does not want war with India, but favours peaceful resolution of all issues including Kashmir.

"Pakistan's policy is one of restraint and responsibility. Despite provocation, we have demonstrated this over the last few months. We do not want war, we are for peaceful resolution of all disputes including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

He said Pakistan has maintained that it would defend itself with all its might if war was thrust on it.

"Let there be no ambiguity on this. We are all for de-escalation and pull back of forces, but not at the cost of our honour and dignity. Let there not be any ambiguity on this also," he said.

"By testing, with outstanding success, the delivery systems of our strategic capability, these men (Pakistani scientists) validated the reliability, accuracy and the deterrence value of Pakistan's premier surface-to-surface ballistic missile systems of the Hatf series, namely -- Ghauri, Ghaznavi and Abdali," Musharraf was quoted as saying by the official APP news agency.

He also said the results of the tests were a matter of pride and satisfaction for all Pakistanis as these were achieved through entirely indigenous efforts, 'through Pakistani technology, through Pakistani brains, by Pakistani hands and at Pakistani facilities'.

Stating that nations have to pay a price for their independence, sovereignty, freedom, honour and dignity he said, "Pakistan has not in the past, and will not in the future, hesitate to pay that price."

Musharraf said his government was as committed to national security as it was to economic reform and recovery.

"Nothing will deter us from making Pakistan strong both in defence and in economic terms. Without a strong defence against external and internal threats, our economic reforms would be meaningless and economic recovery not possible," he said.

Musharraf said, "We need to ensure that the three basic ingredients of the deterrence - capability, credibility and resolve - never get compromised."

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