Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, Government of India has received reports that the United States is considering the possibility of resuming arms supplies to Pakistan. Press despatches from Washington and Islamabad have also hinted that the 10 year old American arms embargo may be lifted and that the United States may supply sophisticated weapons to Pakistan. According to our information, this question was also discussed during the official visit of Pakistan's Prime Minister to Washington on 5th and 6th February although no decision has been announced. The Government of India views the supply of American weapons to Pakistan with grave concern as it will have serious repercussions on the peace and stability of the subcontinent. We have taken up this matter with the U.S. Government at the highest level and have brought to its attention the consequences of the reversal of their present policy on the process of normalisation on the sub-continent. On 28th January, I addressed a letter to the Secretary of State on this subject and conveyed to him our deep concern about the harmful effects of arms supplies to Pakistan on the peace of this region as well as on Indo American relations. I particularly emphasised that Pakistan's fears about a military threat from India are wholly fanciful and unwarranted as both India and Pakistan are committed in the Simla Agreement to work for friendly and harmonious relationship and the establishment of durable peace in the subcontinent and to settle all their differences through peaceful means. It has always been India's policy to promote peace, stability, cooperation and good neighbourly relations among the countries of this area on the basis of equality, sovereignty and respect for independence and territorial integrity of all States. Despite the unfortunate past, we have made special efforts to bring about normalisation and reconciliation with Pakistan. Thanks to these efforts, we have succeeded to some extent in improving relations between the two countries in spite of the slow progress in the implementation of the Simla Agreement. These hopeful trends will be jeopardised and the promise of cooperation replaced by the spectre of confrontation by an American decision to induct sophisticated weapons into the subcontinent. It will not only create new tension between India and Pakistan but also revive old misgivings about the United States role in the region. In recent months, both India and the United States have made sincere efforts to improve their relations. The Secretary of State himself stated while in India last year that the United States does not wish to encourage an arms race in the subcontinent. In view of the past history of the Indo American relations, it is our earnest hope that the United States will carefully consider all implications its decision to supply weapons to Pakistan will have on the relations between our two countries. We also trust that the United States Government will not reverse its present policy of non induction of weapons into the subcontinent as this could not be in the interests of the United States, India, Pakistan on peace of this region. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, as hon. Member has raised practically all the aspects of this problem and I very briefly deal with all of them one by one, It is not only one party or one Member or this House or the other House, but the entire nation is of one voice in saying that the American arms supply to Pakistan is going to have an adverse effect on the normalisation process that has started in the subcontinent and on the relations between U.S.A. and India. I have no doubt that America will take note of this one particular aspect of the problem. It is not an ordinary thing and I can assure the hon. Member that the letter that I wrote to him was a letter which gave him a very clear idea of the strong reaction that this country will have as a whole. The other point that he raised was the American policy in the Indian Ocean and, as a matter of fact, in the entire Asian region. What its effects are going to be and what is our assessment about it? I think it is much better if we see what the factors were which were responsible for these ups and downs in Indo American relations. And this was basically the fact that they always tried to play a sort of balance of power politics in the subcontinent. They had this idea of parity of military strength between India and Pakistan. When the Secretary of State was here, because we know that this is an attitude responsible for this sort of things, we specially raised this particular aspect before him. And he was very categorical in this matter when he spoke about it that it is not the U.S. Government's policy. I am only repeating what he said. He said that they do not any longer believe in this policy of having a balance of power. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, Government of India has received reports that the United States is considering the possibility of resuming arms supplies to Pakistan. Press despatches from Washington and Islamabad have also hinted that the 10 year old American arms embargo may be lifted and that the United States may supply sophisticated weapons to Pakistan. According to our information, this question was also discussed during the official visit of Pakistan's Prime Minister to Washington on 5th and 6th February although no decision has been announced. The Government of India views the supply of American weapons to Pakistan with grave concern as it will have serious repercussions on the peace and stability of the subcontinent. We have taken up this matter with the U.S. Government at the highest level and have brought to its attention the consequences of the reversal of their present policy on the process of normalisation on the sub-continent. On 28th January, I addressed a letter to the Secretary of State on this subject and conveyed to him our deep concern about the harmful effects of arms supplies to Pakistan on the peace of this region as well as on Indo American relations. I particularly emphasised that Pakistan's fears about a military threat from India are wholly fanciful and unwarranted as both India and Pakistan are committed in the Simla Agreement to work for friendly and harmonious relationship and the establishment of durable peace in the subcontinent and to settle all their differences through peaceful means. It has always been India's policy to promote peace, stability, cooperation and good neighbourly relations among the countries of this area on the basis of equality, sovereignty and respect for independence and territorial integrity of all States. Despite the unfortunate past, we have made special efforts to bring about normalisation and reconciliation with Pakistan. Thanks to these efforts, we have succeeded to some extent in improving relations between the two countries in spite of the slow progress in the implementation of the Simla Agreement. These hopeful trends will be jeopardised and the promise of cooperation replaced by the spectre of confrontation by an American decision to induct sophisticated weapons into the subcontinent. It will not only create new tension between India and Pakistan but also revive old misgivings about the United States role in the region. In recent months, both India and the United States have made sincere efforts to improve their relations. The Secretary of State himself stated while in India last year that the United States does not wish to encourage an arms race in the subcontinent. In view of the past history of the Indo American relations, it is our earnest hope that the United States will carefully consider all implications its decision to supply weapons to Pakistan will have on the relations between our two countries. We also trust that the United States Government will not reverse its present policy of non induction of weapons into the subcontinent as this could not be in the interests of the United States, India, Pakistan on peace of this region. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, as hon. Member has raised practically all the aspects of this problem and I very briefly deal with all of them one by one, It is not only one party or one Member or this House or the other House, but the entire nation is of one voice in saying that the American arms supply to Pakistan is going to have an adverse effect on the normalisation process that has started in the subcontinent and on the relations between U.S.A. and India. I have no doubt that America will take note of this one particular aspect of the problem. It is not an ordinary thing and I can assure the hon. Member that the letter that I wrote to him was a letter which gave him a very clear idea of the strong reaction that this country will have as a whole. The other point that he raised was the American policy in the Indian Ocean and, as a matter of fact, in the entire Asian region. What its effects are going to be and what is our assessment about it? I think it is much better if we see what the factors were which were responsible for these ups and downs in Indo American relations. And this was basically the fact that they always tried to play a sort of balance of power politics in the subcontinent. They had this idea of parity of military strength between India and Pakistan. When the Secretary of State was here, because we know that this is an attitude responsible for this sort of things, we specially raised this particular aspect before him. And he was very categorical in this matter when he spoke about it that it is not the U.S. Government's policy. I am only repeating what he said. He said that they do not any longer believe in this policy of having a balance of power. Submit