Nuclear Program of Pakistan:

Lecture: 10
Introduction:

Nuclear weapons are also called as weapons of mass destruction and they were firstly invented by the American Scientists during
the World War II. Nuclear weapons are developed after a complex type of scientific procedure under the two type reactions; fission
and fusion reactions. Uranium with the isotopes 235 or the element of Plutonium with the isotopes 239 are the primary material
which are being used in the thermal reactions for making of atomic bomb. Nuclear weapons were used against Japan during WW-II
by the American military in the recent past century that destructed all most every living and nonliving thing in the cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Pakistan started her nuclear program in the mid-1950s, under the aim of acquiring scientific knowledge and technology for peaceful
uses in agriculture and health sectors. It also envisaged the construction of power plants in due course to meet the energy needs of its
developing economy. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission(PAEC) obtained a small five megawatt research reactor from the
United States in 1962 for the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), near Islamabad. Pakistan was
bound to provided permission for that power plant to inspect and control by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
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A few years later Canada agreed to extend cooperation to Pakistan for the construction of a 120 megawatt nuclear power
plant which was Completed in 1972. This plant was placed under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy
Agency(IAEA). It became evident in the early 1960s that India was acquiring nuclear technology not only for peaceful
purposes but also to develop weapons. Taking an account of the emerging threat to Pakistan's security, and the potential
for blackmail in an asymmetrical nuclear situation, Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said in 1965, “If India makes an
atomic bomb, then we will also do so, even if we have to eat grass, an atom bomb can only be answered by an atom
bomb” (Abdul Sattar, P.125). Even Brig® Feroz Hassan Khan wrote a full book in 2012 named as Eating Grass: the
making of the Pakistani Bomb on this statement of Z.A. Bhutto. In 1966, PAEC proposed purchase of a plutonium
separation plant that France was willing to sell, but the ministries of finance and defense opposed the proposal and
President Ayub Khan too, did not favor the idea. Even Military leadership at that time apparently believed that a strong
conventional defense capability would be enough for deterrence against India.
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Pakistan also hoped that Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty(NPT) would be fruitful to stop the world from further nuclearization
till the first Atomic explosions by the India on 18 May 1974 under the code name of Buddha Smiles. Dismemberment of East
Pakistan in 1971 and the Indian nuclear explosions alerted the civilian and military leadership of Pakistan and Pakistan fasten her
nuclearization process. Soon after taking over the office of the Presidency, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto convened a meeting of nuclear
scientists in January 1972 to review the nuclear program. Participants included renowned nuclear physicist Professor Abdus
Salam, and Munir Ahmad Khan (nuclear engineer serving at the IAEA). Already convinced of the necessity of acquiring the
weapons option, Bhutto's main purpose was to discuss expeditious acquisition of fuel cycle facilities. To pursue the plan, he
appointed Munir Ahmad Khan as chairman of the PAEC, and allocated requisite funds for the relevant project. Later on,
Pakistani metallurgist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, was appointed in 1976 by the government of Pakistan to build a uranium
enrichment plant at Kahuta for the production of fissile material. Despite being strong pressure in the form of warnings of
economic sanctions and cutting up the strategic/diplomatic ties from USA, Pakistan carried out her Nuclear program.
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As earlier mentioned that Pakistan carried out her nuclear program with the technological support of Canada and France. By
1982, Pakistan achieved the capability to enrich uranium to the level required for building an explosive device. PAEC
manufactured the first atomic device in 1983. During that era Soviet invasion on Afghanistan proven to be a blessing for the
Nuclear Program of Pakistan that brought USA and Pakistan close together and Pakistan silently developed her nuclear
arsenals. Pakistan never tested her nuclear arsenals until India tested her nuclear weapons again on the 11 th of May, 1998 in
Pakhran Hills under the code name of Shakti-98. In retaliation to that tests, Pakistan successfully tested her nuclear devices on
28th of May, 1998 in Chagai Hills. After the successful nuclear explosions, Pakistan declared 28 th May as YUM-E-Takbir (the
day of greatness) and it has a political, military, and spiritual significance for the political leadership and for the general public
of Pakistan. Pakistan was sanctioned in terms of financial and strategic means by the USA and a number of international
organizations showed their concerns about the nuclear explosions of Pakistan.
Aims and Objectives of the Nuclear Program:

Pakistan believes in the fair play in the international politics and by birth a peace loving progressive, dynamic, and cooperative
Muslim country.

Security of Pakistan either ideological or territorial always remains central to the policy makers, political leadership, defense
institutions, and the general public from the first day of her inception. Pakistan developed nuclear weapons for her own safety
and defense not for the purpose of trade or nuclear assurances for the other States.

Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are Indian centric by reserving the right of using them in the case any type of full-scale foreign
invasion by any power against Pakistan. Adviser to PNCA, Gen® Khalid Kidwai said in2015 “the Shaheen III missile is meant
to reach India’s nascent strategic bases on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands” (Sadia, P. 2).

Pakistan’s nuclear program is established on the defensive model and patterned upon the first strike policy. E.g. Pakistan will
use her nuclear weapons to intact her territorial integrity against a full-scale Indian attack.
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Currently Pakistan has 170 to 350 nuclear stockpiles with a variety of nuclear arsenal carries. Pakistan has developed nuclear
carries of three categories. E.g. long-range(up to 2750 km), medium –range(up to 1500 km) and short –range(up to 300 km).
Furthermore, Pakistan has an advanced type of missile technology and Pakistan holds a variety of missiles like Shaheen, Haft,
and Nasr etc.

Pakistan showed her willingness for Regional zero as well as Global zero to eliminate the nuclear weapons from the whole
world and from the South Asia.

A number of Pakistan's institutions are working for the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the fields of medicine and
energy. E.g. Alternative Energy Development Board, Chashma Nuclear power plant, and Noori Hospital Islamabad etc.
International concerns:

An important global concern about nuclear weapons and nuclear capabilities of Pakistan generally revolves
around the potential threat of nuclear terrorism and misuse of nuclear stockpiles. However, there are some other
international concerns about the safety and security of the Nuclear Program of Pakistan.
 Theft of a nuclear weapon.
 Theft of material to make an improvised nuclear explosive device.
 Theft of other radioactive material for its use in a Radiation Dispersal Device.
 Sabotage of a facility or transport.
 Extremist government in Power.
 Radicals' take over.
 Terrorist attacks on nuclear installations.
Pakistan's Nuclear Safety and Security System:

To meet up with Global concerns and for the full protection of her nuclear arsenals and nuclear reactors, Pakistan established
legal framework as well as an institutional framework for her nuclear safety immediately after her nuclear explosions in 1998.

National Security Council: Recreated in 2004 and serves as a forum under the leadership of incumbent PM for consultation
for the president and the federal government on matters of national security including the sovereignty, integrity, defense, and
security of the State and crisis management in general. NCA’s representative are usually invited in the cabinet level meetings of
NSC.

National Command Authority(NCA): Established in 2000 by the Government of Pakistan, strategic plans division(SPD)
functions as the permanent secretariat. Incumbent PM serves as the Chairman of this institution and there are 30000 plus
employees are working under this institution. It’s responsibilities the employment, deployment of the nuclear force,
coordination with the strategic forces and the implementation of international policies related towards the export and import of
the nuclear material.
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Pakistan Nuclear Regularity Authority: Established in 2001 as an autonomous body and responsible for the legalizations for the
export of nuclear material and legislate laws for the implementation of the policies of the export control groups like Nuclear Suppliers
Group and Australia Group etc.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission(PAEC): It was established in 1956 to develop and an atomic infrastructure to boost the
economic growth of Pakistan by the introduction of nuclear technology in the fields of health, agriculture, and energy. Recently there are
nearly 130000 employees working under PAEC and leading role in the decisions related nuclear arsenals have taken up by the above
mentioned institutions.

Pakistan established a number of other mechanism for the better safety and to meet up with the international obligations like Export
Control Regimes, international agreements to prevent Nuclear Terrorism, Fissile Material protection, control, and accounting, and
Nuclear Plant stress test etc.

Furthermore, Pakistan is fully cooperating with the guidelines of IAEA time to time and gives free excess to inspection teams of IAEA.
Issue of Arms Race in the South Asia:

Both India’s and Pakistan’s missile programs predate their May 1998 nuclear tests, the programs took on new significance when they became the means for

delivering nuclear weapons and operationalizing nuclear deterrence.

The apparently rapid pace of nuclear developments in India and Pakistan has led many analysts to warn of an impending arms race between the two

countries. India and Pakistan are indeed entangled in a long-standing security competition. However, they are not two closely matched opponents engaged in

a competitive tit-for-tat cycle of nuclear weapons development in which one state makes advancements to its nuclear capability and the other reacts in kind.

E.g. India holds around about 100 to 120 nuclear stockpiles while Pakistan holds 170 to 350 nuclear stockpiles.

Security-insecurity Dilemma: when one state increase her security then the opponent state feels insecurity and also tries to strengthen her defense

capabilities. E.g. according to SIPRI’s report 2021 India is the second largest importer of the arms after Saudi Arabia while Pakistan is the 10 th largest arms

importer country. E.g. while explaining this phenomena Dr. Faisal(Foreign Spokesman MFA Pakistan) said that “countries providing India any weapons

should make sure their assistance does not disturb the balance of power in the region. He also stated that Pakistan’s armed forces are nonetheless fully ready

to respond to any aggression”(11 Oct, 2018).

Security Dynamics of South Asia:

The data about arms race between India and Pakistan show little correlation between the adversaries’ testing behavior contrary
to what would be expected in a classic arms race. In fact, the types and ranges of missiles under development provide concrete
evidence of the divergence in their nuclear objectives and security strategies.

India and Pakistan are indeed racing toward their respective national security objectives, but they are running on different
tracks and chasing vastly different goals. Pakistan is building weapons systems to deter India from conventional military
operations below the nuclear threshold. India is developing systems primarily to strengthen its strategic deterrent against
China, meaning this dynamic is not confined to the subcontinent.

While expanding the high risk of the use nuclear weapons US President Joe Biden said that in 2017 ; “not just North Korea,
but Russia, Pakistan, and others have made counterproductive moves that only increase the risk that nuclear weapons could
be used in a regional conflict in Europe, South Asia, or East Asia” (BBC, 2017).