ISLAMABAD - Minister for Defence Khurram Dastgir told the National Assembly on Monday that Pakistan was a responsible nuclear state and it would continue with its policy of ‘full spectrum deterrence’.

“Pakistan will continue its policy in line with the policy of credible minimum deterrence and avoidance of armed race,” the defence minister said while reading out a policy statement over ‘security contours’.

He vowed the government would meet with vigour and commitment the growing challenges to Pakistan’s security and towards maintaining strategic stability in the region.

The minister claimed that Pakistan’s defense was robust and country’s vigilant and highly trained armed forces “continue to protect and defend our land, sea and air borders”.

“Pakistan has paid a huge price in the war against terrorism and cleared its territory of terrorists,” said the minister mentioning that Pakistan had cleared safe havens of terrorists from the country. He said that the Afghan war could not be fought on Pakistani soil.

Dastgir said that Pakistan considered Afghanistan as a sovereign neighbour which shared abiding bonds of history, trade and culture.

The minister said that the United States had been fighting in Afghanistan for the last 16 years but has failed to achieve the targets.

The minister said Pakistan should not be made a scapegoat for US failures in Afghanistan. “The way forward for Pak-US relations should not be through threats, notices and suspension of support,” said the minister.

He reiterated Pakistan had suffered a huge loss in the war against terrorism as an ally of the US. “Pakistan had to face an economic loss and damages to the life and property of the citizens. The suffering has been immense and painful and it is unfair to the US to blame Pakistan when it had not been able to pacify the situation in Afghanistan,” he said.

He said that around 43 percent of Afghanistan territory was beyond the control of its government but Pakistan respects the sovereign state of Afghanistan as a neighbouring country.

“Pakistan and China have agreed to have a peaceful Afghanistan while Gwadar port and China Pakistan Economic Corridor are proof of high economic cooperation.”

He said that Indian forces committed more than 1300 ceasefire violations in 2017 on the Line of Control which resulted in 52 deaths and injuries to 175 persons.

“Today, our four valiant soldiers embraced martyrdom in unprovoked firing by Indian forces. The nation salutes these martyrs and prays to Almighty Allah to grant fortitude to their families,” he said.

The Indian government, he said, has accelerated Pakistan bashing as a highly militarized and belligerent neighbor. “The case of Kulbushan Jhadav is a proof of his attempts to create unrest in other countries,” he added.

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said that there were many flaws in Pakistan’s foreign policy. He criticized the government for not giving importance to parliament.

PPP’s Naveed Qamar, commenting the policy statement, said the statement lacked clarity without having any stiff response. “There is need to take it seriously,” he said and posed a question “who is really talking Pakistan.”

PTI’s Dr Shireen Mazari said that there was no clarity in the policy statement rather it further confused the situation. “There is no word about the Indian army chief’s recent statement,” said Mazari, mentioning that Pakistan’s claim about halting intelligence sharing has also been denied. “The government needs to clarify its actual policy,” she said criticizing the government for not implementing a resolution to block air routes. “Why the government is afraid of blocking air routes,” she said, mentioning different statements from the GHQ and the Foreign Office. Pakistan, she said, needs to take care of its sovereignty.

JUI-F’s chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman criticized government’s foreign policy to deal with issues of important nature. “The foreign policy is facing isolation,” he said. “There is a need to make parliament supreme,” he said mentioning that it was a lenient response (policy statement) which lacked a solid approach.

About FATA reforms, he said that there was a need to give democratic rights to FATA members. “Decisions should be made within parliament,” he said. He said that national interest must be given priority while formulating the foreign policy.

MQM’s Sheikh Salahuddin said called for making all decisions in the parliament. “We need to break the begging bowl of the IMF,” he said.

PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said called for taking all including Sindhi, Balochi and Punjabi on board in formulating the foreign policy contours.

He said that some institutions were blocking the way of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to gain a majority in Senate. He criticized the FATA reforms bill passed from the House on Friday. He said that US President Donald Trump’s statement should be taken seriously.