Islamabad: New Delhi's rationale for increasing the defence budget is "consistent with the shift in the Indian government's ideology to more nationalistic elements under Prime Minister Narendra Modi", said a Pakistani daily on Monday.

The Nation asked in an editorial: "Will Pakistan view the Indian government’s decision to spend $3.5 billion on modernising the military as a threat to the delicate balance of power between the two nations? If they do, how will they respond?" It also asked whether Pakistan can "really afford to indulge in another battle for supremacy in armaments when a host of other problems including energy and water crisis and the relocation of displaced people, are issues that will not be solved by spending large sums on advanced weaponry".