US-Indian defence accord disturbs regional power balance: NSA

ISLAMABAD: National Security Advisor Lt Gen (R) Nasir Janjua has said that the balance of power in the region is being deteriorated due to the strategic agreement between India and USA.
He was speaking to a seminar at Bahria University (BU) on the topic of “Naval economics, geopolitics in Indian occasion and increasing threats to Pakistan” arranged by Institute of Strategic Studies of Islamabad(ISSI) on Thursday.
He said that said that India’s activities in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean are on the rise.

“If we compare the economies of USA and China, we see that the budget deficit of China is less but the rate of productivity is much higher.”

He also said that now the USA has 800 military bases in 70 countries. Some 368000 US troops are present in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. America is gaining power in the Indian Ocean and sea at China’s south due to which the situation is much favourable for India.

The national security advisor said that Daesh’s escalating influence in Afghanistan has also become a potential threat.  The problem of Afghanistan and Iran’s tension has made the state of affairs more perilous at sea.

Admiral (R) Mukhtar Ahmed Khan said that the Indian Ocean is the centre of 37 per cent of regional trade and 14 per cent of international trade. The political and economic interests in there can cause a conflict, and weak countries have become the slaves of developed nations because of a lack of technology.

The retired naval officer concluded by saying that Pakistan had played an important role in the multinational task force.