Amid ongoing tensions with New Delhi, Pakistan has publicly acknowledged India’s growing military capabilities and defence modernisation efforts, while stating that Islamabad has no interest in entering a costly arms race. The comments arrive as India continues expanding its missile, air-defence, and conventional military systems.
Pakistan acknowledges India’s military strength
Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Islamabad respects India’s military capabilities but has no intention of matching its defence spending. He acknowledged that Pakistan is aware of India’s expanding capabilities and its substantial investment in defence infrastructure.
Asked specifically about India’s progress in missile technology, air-defence systems, and conventional strike capacity, Chaudhry responded that while Pakistan understands India’s motivation to commit significant resources to arms, it has no desire to engage in a competitive arms buildup. He stressed that Pakistan’s own military posture is fundamentally defensive in nature, with no aggressive ambitions toward any other nation.
“We have no aggressive design on any country in the world,” Chaudhry said, adding that Pakistan remains confident in its defensive capabilities — both to protect itself and to respond decisively if needed. His comments come as India continues actively testing and advancing its missile and air-defence technology.
India’s ongoing missile development programme
In May, India carried out a successful test of an advanced Agni missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targeted Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, which the Defence Ministry said proved the missile’s capacity to hit several geographically distinct targets in a single launch. In July, India also conducted the first flight test of its Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile system, built to counter aerial threats.
Additionally, the Defence Ministry has cleared the transfer of technology for conventionally armed missile systems — developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) — to domestic industry players, part of a broader push to strengthen India’s indigenous defence manufacturing.
