Over the last few years there has been a debate in the western media and analyses of Pakistan on its nuclear capability, especially regarding issues of safety, proliferation and terrorism. Many commentators and officials in the West, particularly the United States, have argued that the instability in Pakistan, especially due to the threat posed by the Taliban and Al Qaeda, could lead to nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. This nightmare scenario has been the basis for many calls in the international community to somehow ‘disarm’ Pakistan of its nuclear weapons.

The Pakistani government emphasizes having put in place what is considered globally as a failsafe command and control system, and that the nuclear weapons are under the control of the military. Thus the safety of the nuclear arsenal, regardless of the distance of the Taliban from Islamabad, is not an issue. Also Pakistan had swiftly put controls in place to make impossible any proliferation of nuclear technology or materials from Pakistan.

With the eleventh anniversary of Pakistan and India’s 1998 nuclear tests on May 28 the The Friday Times looked at the various issues surrounding Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, ranging from western concerns about its safety and the possibility of the weapons falling into the hands of terrorists to Pakistan’s assertions that it is a responsible nuclear power whose arsenal does not need ‘rescue’.

Moeed Yusuf looks back at the last eleven years and critically examines the various arguments against Pakistan’s nuclear capability as well as objections that the arsenal failed to deliver what it was meant to. According to Yusuf, these arguments are misplaced because they fail to understand the role of nuclear weapons. Read the article (PDF, 3 pages, 41 KB)

Brig (retd) Naeem Salik looks at the various concerns and objections being raised about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in the West and argues that there is no need for concern; he further contends that the global non-proliferation regime can only be strengthened if the big powers play by the rules as well. Read the article (PDF, 3 pages, 24 KB)

Shahzad Chaudhry analyses the benefits of the strategic equilibrium that nuclear weapons in both India and Pakistan were supposed to achieve. Read the article (PDF, 4 pages, 36 KB)

Ejaz Haider looks at the state of the non-proliferation regime and analyses whether President Obama’s stated objective of a Global Zero is achievable or not. He also states that the world need not worry about the safety of Pakistan’s arsenal. Read the article (PDF, 3 pages, 31 KB)

Khaled Ahmed concludes with a look at the politics of nuclear weapons in both India and Pakistan, and how the nature of the Bomb has interacted with the military, political and strategic thinking on both sides. Read the article (PDF, 3 pages, 28 KB)

All articles are published by courtesy of The Friday Times, Lahore Weekly Paper May 29-04 June, 2009