India debunks Pak allegation of ‘secret nuclear city’

India has termed as "figment of imagination" Pakistan's contention that it is building a "secret nuclear city", saying it is a "diversionary tactic" to deflect attention from issues like Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and harbouring of terrorists.

Pakistan on Thursday claimed that India has accumulated a stockpile of nuclear weapons, which threatens to undermine the strategic balance of power in the region.

Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria made the remarks at the weekly press briefing while expressing concern over the "Indian defence buildup".

"India is building a secret nuclear city ... it has accumulated a stockpile of nuclear weapons which threatens to undermine the strategic balance of power in the region," Zakaria claimed.

He also alleged that India has been conducting tests on inter-continental missiles which would "disturb the strategic balance in the region."

Reacting to the remarks, Indian external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "These are completely baseless allegations. The so-called secret city appears to be a figment of the Pakistan imagination. India has always been in compliance with all its international obligations. This is a very strange statement coming from a country that does not have a separation plan and has a strong record of proliferation, which is well known to the world."

"India has very different credentials. So, clearly this shows a lack of comprehension. Furthermore, there is no doubt that this is a diversionary tactic by Pakistan which aims to deflect attention from the real issue at hand - the continued state sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan and its harbouring of internationally designated terrorists," he said.

Questioned about comments by Pakistan Planning and Development Minister of Pakistan Ahsan Iqbal regarding peace talks with India after the ongoing state assembly elections in five states, he said it is not state elections in India but state terrorism by Pakistan which has stood in the way of a peaceful bilateral dialogue.

"It is high time Pakistan gets the diagnosis of the problem right. It should not remain in denial on the impact of cross-border terrorism on the bilateral relationship. Both the problem and its solution are within Pakistan's reach," Swarup said.