KARACHI: An American think container state that Pakistan harbours the highest rising nuclear weapons programme in the world could have enough fissile material to produce more than 200 nuclear devices by 2020.
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Strategic Stability in the Second Nuclear Age, also recognized South Asia as the region, most at risk of crash in planned solidity due to an explosive mixture of unresolved territorial disputes, cross border terrorism and growing nuclear arsenals. Pakistan has deployed or is developing 11 delivery systems for its nuclear warheads, including aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
For more Pakistan has not formally declared the conditions under which it would use nuclear weapons but has indicated that it primarily needs the warheads to deter India from threatening its territorial integrity and for enhancing the ability of its military to defend its territory.
Pakistan’s major focus is towards the threat posed by India, it is also concerned about US’ potential to launch a military operation to seize or deactivate its nuclear arsenal.
Further this concern is based on the reported contingency plan by the US military to stop Pakistani nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. However Pakistani officials state that these concerns do not affect their nuclear force posture or plans.
India and Pakistan face more severe security challenges than those of the other armed states due to their history of conflicts, higher level of domestic instability, geographic proximity, and the dispute over Kashmir that has existential implications for both countries.
