Pakistan expresses concern over US selling Guardian drones to India

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria, during his weekly media briefing, highlighted that during India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in June, a major deal for sale of Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles (submarine drones) was finalised.

"We had expressed our concerns on the sale of advanced military technologies to India. We believe that such sales accentuate military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability in South Asia," Zakaria said.

He said it emboldens India to adopt aggressive military doctrines and even contemplate military adventurism.

"Transfers of modern military hardware and technologies as well as repeated exceptions made for India have disincentivised India to engage in efforts to establish a strategic restraint regime and durable security architecture in the region," he said.

To a question about a senior Indian military official calling the Line of Control (LoC) as an "imaginary line" which India could cross any time for surgical strikes, Zakaria said that Indian Army often makes false claims in order to gain popularity among the Indian public and media which reflects the long prevailing Indian mindset.

"Pakistan, on the other hand, has encouraged peaceful engagement with India and emphasised confidence building measures. However, our good gestures have not been reciprocated by India," he added.

The US in June cleared the sale of 22 predator drones to India in a deal estimated to be worth USD 2 to 3 billion.