No to strategic imbalance

India's unilateral move to rewrite its strategic doctrine towards Pakistan is a cause for alarm and a direct outcome of its hegemonic designs. New Delhi's reported deployment of nuclear weapons aboard a submarine, alongside its missile modernisation programmes, heavily risks escalation. The plot thickens as the reputable SIPRI also cautioned that India has deployed around 12 nuclear warheads on a submarine for deterrence patrols. This shift has cast doubt on India's declared 'No-First-Use' policy. This transformation follows a pattern of power-maximising behaviour that does not bode well for a region sitting on tenterhooks of suspicion and instability. Ultimately, the induction of ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapon systems and AI-based strike capabilities are clear attempts to shift the deterrence dynamics in the region.

The concern expressed by two NCA advisers at a seminar in Islamabad yesterday was on the mark. They rightly suspected that India was moving towards a more "prepared, potentially first-use capable nuclear posture". Their contention that Pakistan "will review and reconsider all options for appropriate deployments in order to restore the strategic balance and strategic stability while retaining the policy of strategic ambiguity" is the new plausibility in terms of re-assuring a deterrent. It is worth-mentioning that Pakistan rejects a No-First-Use policy and officially maintains a first-use capability, as part of its nuclear deterrence strategy against India. That means Islamabad relies on a doctrine of "Full Spectrum Deterrence" to offset India's conventional military superiority.

The world community must take a deeper interest in these shifting security doctrines and ensure that the nuclear dyad maintains the status quo. Adding to the suspicion, India failed to inform Pakistan of its submarine ballistic missile tests, bypassing established protocols like the annual exchange of nuclear asset lists and military flag-meetings. New Delhi must remember how the May 2025 confrontation brought both nations to the brink of a nuclear exchange, and refrain from using dangerous jingoism for political gain.