Pakist­an’s nuclea­r weapon­s become a crucia­l compon­ent of the overal­l securi­ty archit­ecture agains­t IndiaIn 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. In late May 1998, Pakistan revealed its nuclear capability with six nuclear tests, a move necessitated by India’s nuclear tests on 11th and 13th May, respectively. Given the asymmetry between the two countries, Pakistan’s nuclear weapons become a crucial component of the overall security architecture against India. 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. Post 9/11, the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons has become a focus of international attention.

Source: The Express Tribune May 31, 2018 03:33 UTC