Islamabad: Even as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is scheduled to have talks with his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee, Islamabad is unnerved about the outcome. It has expressed deep concerns about the growing Indo-Israeli ties as a result of which New Delhi is all set to acquire sophisticated weapons system from Tel Aviv.

"India's buying of anti-ballistic weaponry will disrupt the strategic balance in the region. We do not know what India will do with all these weapons. Where will it unleash them? Would it be in its immediate neighbourhood because it has friendly relations with China and Russia," 'The News' quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan as saying on September 8.

Commenting on Sharon's visit to India, Khan said if this axis was directed against Muslims, then there was cause for grave concern. The continuing Indo-Israeli Defence ties would have a destabilising effect on South Asia, Khan said while speaking to reporters.

Reacting to reports that India was inducting 50 more missiles in its arsenal, the spokesman said this showed that New Delhi had hegemonistic designs.

"The Prithvi missile is Pakistan-specific and can only target Pakistan. We are against an arms race. We believe that the two countries should have an arms restraint regime together with confidence-building measures. We reserve the right to protect ourselves and we will take measures against these threats," he added.

Criticising joint military exercises between India and the US in Ladakh, he said, "This is a territory disputed by neighbouring states so exercises in the area are not helpful."

Stating that Pakistan was kept uninformed by both India and the US, Khan said, "There was no prior notification."

"There was no peace and stability in the region. Therefore, conducting exercises in this region was counter-productive," he added. ANI