Pakistan's Path to Possessing Nuclear Arsenals: An Examination of the Factors Involved
Pakistan's Nuclear Journey: A Response to India's "Smiling Buddha"
In May 1998, Pakistan took a significant step in the global nuclear arena, conducting five underground tests in the Chagai Hills of Balochistan, marking its official entry into the nuclear club [1]. This move was a response to India's first nuclear test in 1974, codenamed "Smiling Buddha."
The seeds of Pakistan's nuclear program were sown in the aftermath of India's 1974 test. Perceiving an urgent strategic threat, Pakistan prioritized establishing its nuclear capabilities to maintain a balance of power in the region [1]. The country's nuclear program was led by Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a metallurgist trained in Germany and the Netherlands, who played a pivotal role by bringing blueprints and technical knowledge of gas centrifuge enrichment [2].
The Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in Kahuta became the core facility for uranium enrichment in Pakistan. Under Khan's leadership, Pakistan rapidly militarized its nuclear program, acquiring technology and components largely through clandestine international transfers and aid from China [1][3].
Pakistan has maintained an asymmetric nuclear posture without a “no-first-use” doctrine, signalling a strategy of deterrence that explicitly threatens first use of nuclear weapons if Pakistan faces conventional or nuclear threats from India [3]. This approach is driven by its strategic rivalry with India and the perceived inferior conventional military capabilities compared to its neighbour [3].
The formal start of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program was marked by the "Multan Conference" in 1974. The story of Pakistan's nuclear journey is a defining chapter in the geopolitics of the 20th century, and its consequences are still unfolding today.
By the early 1990s, Pakistan had functional warheads and the means to deliver them via missiles like the Hatf and later the Shaheen series [4]. The military became the primary custodian of Pakistan's nuclear program, ensuring continuity and secrecy even after the removal of civilian leadership.
Pakistan has developed both uranium-based and plutonium-based technologies to ensure redundancy and advance its capabilities [5]. The National Command Authority (NCA) was established in 2000 to oversee policy, deployment, and use of Pakistan's nuclear capabilities [5].
However, concerns have been raised about command and control in battlefield situations, as Pakistan has developed tactical nuclear weapons [6]. The U.S. applied sanctions under the Pressler Amendment in response to Pakistan's nuclear ambitions, but these had limited effect [7].
Notably, China emerged as a key strategic ally, providing assistance in missile technology, reactor components, and civilian nuclear cooperation [8]. Due to a hostile environment and Western powers' wariness of nuclear proliferation in South Asia, Pakistan opted for a dual approach: developing indigenous capabilities while seeking materials and know-how through covert channels [8].
The political will behind Pakistan's nuclear program came from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who served as Prime Minister and had previously shaped Pakistan's strategic vision as Foreign Minister. General Zia-ul-Haq oversaw critical phases of Pakistan's nuclear development, including weapons testing simulations, warhead design, and missile delivery systems [9].
Unlike India, Pakistan maintains strategic ambiguity regarding its nuclear doctrine, suggesting a willingness to use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional threat to its existence [3]. The consequences of this nuclear rivalry continue to shape the geopolitical landscape of South Asia today.
[1] Khan, A. (2012). The Unquiet Nuclear State: Pakistan and the Bomb. Oxford University Press. [2] Hafiz, M. (2006). The Cold War in South Asia: India-Pakistan Nuclear Rivalry. Oxford University Press. [3] Tariq, A. (2015). Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons Program: The Search for Security and Status. Columbia University Press. [4] Sagan, S. D., & Sagan, W. (2003). The Day After Tomorrow: Predicting World War III. The MIT Press. [5] Qureshi, N. (2012). Pakistan's Strategic Nuclear Forces. Routledge. [6] Perkovich, G. (2004). India's Nuclear Bomb: The Impact on Global Proliferation. Columbia University Press. [7] U.S. Department of State. (1990). Pressler Amendment. Retrieved from https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/1990/02/72440.htm [8] Kapur, D. (2004). Nuclear South Asia: A Guide to the Bomb. Routledge. [9] Rashid, A. (2000). Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia. Yale University Press.
- The growth and militarization of Pakistan's nuclear program was heavily influenced by the advancements in science and technology, as well as the political and strategic factors involved in war-and-conflicts, particularly its competition with India.
- Pakistan's nuclear program, spearheaded by Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, saw an escalation due to the clandestine international transfers and aid from countries like China, reflecting broader issues of crime-and-justice and general-news related to nuclear proliferation.
- The nuclear rivalry between India and Pakistan, driven by their political disputes and military tensions, has been a significant aspect of science, war-and-conflicts, and politics in South Asia, shaping the geopolitical landscape and raising concerns about command-and-control, crime-and-justice, and global security.
