Islamabad, July 29 : While Pakistan has reacted sharply to the launch of India's first nuclear-powered submarine INS-Arihant, saying such a step would only increase arms race in the region and that it is `detrimental to regional peace and stability', an editorial in a leading Pakistan daily said it was premature to say that New Delhi's big leap forward would really pose a threat.

An editorial in the Dawn said Islamabad must not react to India joining the exclusive club of US, Russia, China, France and the UK.

"It's not clear yet if the INS Arihant and its siblings will in fact pose a dangerous new threat," the editorial said.

The editorial opined that Pakistan must avoid the imprudent attitude `we must have whatever India has', as it would then lead to a dangerous arms race in the region.

It pointed out that Pakistan can not afford such competition with India because of the fact that it is very expensive to purchase a nuclear submarine. Moreover, none of the world's producers currently seems inclined to sell them to Islamabad.

"Acquiring an indigenous production capability is staggeringly, break-the-bank expensive. The real danger India's nuclear submarines pose to Pakistan, then, could well be their capacity to lure us into an arms race we simply cannot afford," the editorial added.

It said that the launch of INS-Arihant on July 26, Kargil Vijay Diwas, was apparently aimed at sending a message to Pakistan. "We must not react to provocations, only genuine threats," the editorial concluded. (ANI)