New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- China's rapid naval expansion and its deepening military partnership with Pakistan pose a direct challenge to India's security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the parliamentary Committee on external affairs has warned. The panel flagged that the "China-Pakistan naval nexus not only facilitates joint military exercises but also advances Pakistan's naval modernisation," adding that this growing cooperation could "destabilise the balance of power in the region." It has urged the government to counter the threat by intensifying India's military exercises with partner nations. The Shashi Tharoor-led 31-member panel stressed that India's leadership role in the IOR is a "natural and necessary extension of its geopolitical a...