Since we became nuclear power, Pakistan’s enemies have been incessantly working to malign our nuclear capability
LAHORE: It is as clear as daylight that Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in 1998 in response to India’s aggressive attitude after the latter conducted its nuclear tests on May 11 and 13. In a fit of euphoria, India, disdainfully, had assumed that the balance of power in South Asia had shifted in its favour. Ignoring the fact that Pakistan also possessed the nuclear bomb, Indians started to take a jingoistic line and their sabre-rattling remained at a high pitch.
During the 17 days that followed the Indian nuclear tests, there was a flurry of efforts by the international community, especially former US president Bill Clinton, to deter Pakistan from conducting nuclear tests. The government was offered incentives and was also intimidated. The incentive package comprised the repeal of the Pressler Amendment and the release of $600 million dollars’ worth of F-16 fighters that Pakistan had ordered and paid for but never received; additionally, financial assistance was offered. The threats encompassed the imposition of a total embargo like that imposed on India, but it was envisaged that Pakistan, with a more fragile economy, would not be able to sustain the sanctions. However, the country’s leadership rose to the challenge and living up to heightened public expectations, it decided to go ahead with the nuclear tests. Our leadership at that time, despite US cajolery, remained steadfast in conducting the tests. On the afternoon of May 28, then Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif appeared on national television to announce: “Today, we have settled a score and have carried out five successful nuclear tests.”
From that date to the present day, Pakistan’s enemies have been incessantly working to malign our nuclear capability. An unrelenting media campaign has since been launched to portray Pakistan as a country that cannot safeguard its nukes. Using the ‘Khan Network’ as a millstone around Pakistan’s neck, pressure has been applied whenever the need arose to blackmail Pakistan into submission and action. But this malicious propaganda is totally baseless to say the least. Pakistan’s Nuclear Command Authority through its Strategic Plan Division, undertakes measures for the safety and security of strategic assets including development of the strategic C4I2SR. There is monitoring and regulation of the movement of its scientific manpower through personal reliability and human reliability programmes, weekly, monthly and quarterly intelligence reports, sensitive material control and accounting, transportation security and specialist vehicles, as well as two-man rule, codes and Permissive Action Links. This infrastructure rules out any doubts regarding the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. We have made the bomb and we know how to protect it.
Muhammad Yasir Kayani
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2015.
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