Islamabad: Voicing concern over a 27 per cent increase in India's defence budget, Pakistan today (July 12, 2004) said this would "wittingly or unwittingly" accelerate the arms race between the two countries.

The hike in Indian defence budget has raised "legitimate concerns in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries," Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan told in Islamabad.

"This would wittingly or unwittingly accelerate the arms race between the two countries which we could have avoided because both India and Pakistan need massive resources for poverty alleviation, education and for creating new jobs."

He said one has to just look at India's land, air and sea forces and "you will realise that they are directed at Pakistan so naturally we are concerned."

Claiming that India intended to intensify its defence-related shopping spree, he said it would accentuate asymmetry in conventional sphere.

Observing that Pakistan was vigilant and its defence is strong, Khan said it would maintain its competitive edge both in conventional and strategic fields and continue upgrading its capability in both quantitative and qualitative terms.

Brushing aside a comparison between the fencing of LoC (Line of Control) with the wall being built by Israelis in the West Bank, which was adjudged illegal by International Court of Justice, Khan said it should not be a cause of concern in Pakistan because "we do not think this fence alters the status of LoC. The LoC is temporary line, transient edifice and has to be subjected to the will of Kashmiri people. I will assuage the fears by saying that ultimately the fence means nothing... It is a bonanza for scrap dealers. It does not separate the Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC."

He said that Pakistan has launched strong protests with India in the past and Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar himself maintained at the recent Delhi talks that the fencing was "illegal and violated bilateral agreements."

Khan also deftly avoided questions on defining Pakistan's perception of what constitutes Kashmiri leadership but at the same time said Pakistan wanted unification of the Hurriyat Conference factions.

Answering another question, Khan also condemned arson of a religious school in Srinagar resulting in the destruction of valuable manuscripts including a precious artefact of the Holy Quran.