Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said restoring balance of conventional and non- conventional forces between India and Pakistan is the key to ensuring peaceful resolution of issues between the two countries.

"In its ultimate context, peace in this South Asian region will be through resolution of all political disputes including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," he said while speaking at a function at a college in Islamabad.

However, before such a peace is achieved through the resolution of political disputes, "we have to ensure that there is no-win situation for the two contenders-Pakistan and India", he said.

For that there has to be a balance in conventional and un-conventional means of power "and this balance must never be disturbed in the interest of the peace in the region", he said.

Pakistan, he claimed, was following the strategy of minimum defensive deterrence, adding that the country was not in the arms race, but would maintain such a deterrence at all levels. Musharraf said that to achieve the ultimate peace, the two countries would have to reach political resolution of all disputes.

In his address at the college, Musharraf also denied allegations that Pakistan indulged in nuclear proliferation. He insisted that his country's nuclear arsenal was under tight control and will not fall into the "wrong hands".

"Pakistan will never proliferate, Pakistan's nuclear potential is under very strong custodial control and we have very strong safeguards to prevent its proliferation and its assets going into the wrong hands," he said.

He also claimed that Pakistan's nuclear programme was totally indigenous and in response to the threat faced by the country.

Meanwhile, in his weekly press briefing, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan accused India of accelerating arms purchases.

Referring to reports of India shelving plans to develop 'Trishul' missile, he said, "We are concerned about India's purchases. We should not have an acceleration of arms purchases in South Asia."

He said the arms purchases went against the spirit of new India-Pak peace process and the India- China "rapprochement".

"This is also contrary to the spirit of dialogue we are initiating. Contrary to recent developments, India's relationship with China and emphasis there on rapid development of weapons of mass destruction and purchases from Israel and other countries should come to an end," he added.

PTI