IN the backdrop of reports about conspiracies and malicious propaganda against Pakistan’s nuclear programme, military spokesperson Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has minced no words in declaring that the country’s nuclear arsenal remains fully secure and invincible against any threat.
When asked whether there is any concern within Pakistan’s military establishment that the country could be the next target following recent developments in Iran, the DG ISPR said Pakistan is an established and declared nuclear power and the world has no experience of going to — or even attempting to go into — a misadventure against an established nuclear power. He warned that if such a misadventure is attempted, it will lead to horrific consequences which the world may not be able to endure. The spokesperson pointed out that India was fomenting trouble in Balochistan as part of its strategy to destabilize Pakistan.
The warning of the spokesperson assumes greater significance as reports speak of an unholy India-Israel plan to target Pakistan’s nuclear programme, which is considered a major hurdle in realization of their nefarious designs against the country. Pakistan’s nuclear programme and assets, which are necessarily India-specific, have proved to be a firm guarantor against expansionist designs of the enemy as has been re-confirmed during recent conflict between the two nuclear armed countries. It is because of this that the programme has always remained a target of conspiracies with enemies thinking in terms of military operations like those carried against Iraq’s nuclear plant and Iranian nuclear sites. However, as pointed out by the Director-General ISPR, there is a sea of difference between Pakistan and these two countries. Unlike Iran and Iraq, Pakistan is a declared and established nuclear power, which makes no secret of its resolve to maintain minimum deterrent capability. Special and foolproof measures are in place to ensure safety and security of the nuclear assets and even countries like the United States, which have the latest technology and information gathering tools at their disposal, have acknowledged openly that they have no reliable information about location of these assets.
Pakistan also has dependable delivery systems at its disposal including its second strike capability, therefore, the enemy can gamble at the risk of catastrophic consequences. Knowledgeable circles say there is much more in store for the enemy in case it launched another aggression against Pakistan. It is known to all that Chinese-supplied weapons played a decisive role in ensuring victory of Pakistan in the recent war and even Chinese are expressing pleasant surprise over the perfect use of these weapons to produce the desired results. Pakistan has also demonstrated its capability to gather real-time information in war scenarios, which should serve as a warning that the enemy will not escape the nemesis. With all this in view, the ISPR Director-General has aptly warned that seeking military space or conflict space with an established nuclear power for elusive objectives is absurd, sheer stupidity and inconceivable. The policy of dictating terms to neighbours or other countries will never succeed as Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership is firm on safeguarding national security and sovereignty. Despite the fact that Pakistan has the capability to respond in kind, Islamabad has, time and again, expressed its preference for dialogue and peace over war. This was also confirmed when immediately after the Pahalgam incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered Pakistan’s cooperation in a neutral international probe. As has been highlighted by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who spearheaded the diplomatic campaign after war with India, India has so far not provided any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the incident and relies entirely on falsehood. Contrary to this, Pakistan has repeatedly provided verifiable evidence confirming India’s support to terrorism in Balochistan. India should, therefore, shun belligerence and sit across the table to sort out disputes and differences.
