Nuclear weapons as security assets

In the 1970s, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto famously declared that “we will eat grass, even go hungry, but we will have our own,” while referring to the attainment of nuclear weapons. Forty years after that declaration, we attained this capability by ensuring the neighbours that national security would not be compromised.

In late May 1998, Pakistan revealed its nuclear capability with six nuclear tests, a move necessitated by India’s nuclear tests on 11^th and 13^th May, respectively. With those tests, India, the arch-rival of Pakistan, had tilted the balance of power in its own favour, making it necessary for Pakistan to reciprocate in the same manner.

Pakistani reaction to India’s test of a nuclear explosion was the need of the time as both countries shared a history of conflicts. This testing by Pakistan worked as a balancer of power in the nuclear domain that eradicated the chance of a future war. Given the asymmetry between the two countries, Pakistan’s nuclear weapons become a crucial component of the overall security architecture against India.

On the 20^th anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear tests, one must be clear enough that the peaceful nuclear explosion (PNEs) in 1974 conducted by India and then yet again in 1998, led to the need for maintaining balance of power and acquiring necessary deterrence in the region due to the untrustworthy relations between India and Pakistan. Hence, it may be useful to assess Pakistan’s role of nuclear weapons in ‘national security’ and how safe these weapons are from external threats.

Evidently, the term ‘national security’ is a broad concept which includes elements of national power, ie, geography, economy, diplomacy, leadership of a country in strengthening national security and the geostrategic environment that in sum play their part in guaranteeing and safeguarding the national interests of a country.

It is also evident that the nuclear weapons of Pakistan not only helped in reducing the military asymmetry between India and Pakistan but have also prevented several wars in the region. Except for the Kargil crisis of 1999 that does not fall under the category of a conventional war.

So it is observed that acquisition of nuclear weapons by Pakistan worked as an effective nuclear deterrent against India, which has a qualitative and quantitative edge in conventional power. These weapons also helped in reducing major events that could have led to wars in the region, ie, 1985-86 (Brasstacks), 1990 (Kashmir uprising), 1999 (Kargil conflict), 2001-02 (military stand-off), and 2008 (Mumbai attacks).

Post 9/11, the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons has become a focus of international attention. Several Western researchers and scholars continue to agitate out scenarios portraying Pakistan as a fragile state, incapable of handling its nuclear assets. This is disturbing, Pakistan has always been admired for its role in the realm of nuclear safety and security. More recently, the IAEA chief expressed satisfaction over implementation of the agency’s safeguard measures in the country. While realising the potential and efforts Pakistan has taken for the safety and security, it is being still subjected to renewed propaganda.

Pakistan attaches highest significance to its nuclear safety and security and complies with all international and domestic obligations. Pakistan adheres to several international resolutions aimed at prevention of nuclear terrorism and proliferation of nuclear material to non-state actors, such as UN Resolution 1540, (aimed at the prevention of transfer or assistance to produce nuclear weapons); Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, Proliferation Security Initiative and Container Security Initiative.

Lastly, the history of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme is a story of national resilience and tremendous sacrifices. The programme is solely for deterrence against India, and to stabilise the subcontinent. So, rather than using politicised sentiments to downplay Pakistan’s nuclear capability, the international community must mainstream Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2018.

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