Abdul
Zahoor Khan Marwat
A
columnist has recently claimed that in the present tense situation in the
Middle East, “Pakistan is the only country that can, at short notice,
potentially provide the kingdom with nuclear weapons, or with a nuclear
umbrella.”
To say the least, the columnist has a totally
skewed view of Pakistan’s commitment to non-proliferation and its international
obligations. His false assertion and claims lack dignity. Pakistani security
establishment, government and policymakers are well versed with the criticality
of nuclear weapons for the country’s defence and also about the international
sensitivities.
The propaganda about the Pak-Saudi nuclear
nexus was first unleashed by the Israelis in 2013 with the apparent aim to
undermine the US-Iran nuclear negotiations. The same year, a Western TV channel
had made a ludicrous claim that “Saudi Arabia could obtain nukes at will from
Pakistan.” It had also announced that Pakistani nuclear weapons “made on behalf
of Saudi Arabia were now sitting ready for delivery”. Not surprisingly, it was
later revealed that the claims based on fake intelligence had originated in
Israel.
Furthermore, it was reported that a former
head of Israeli military intelligence had told an international conference in
Sweden that in case Iran got the bomb, “the Saudis will not wait one month.
They already paid for the bomb, they will go to Pakistan and bring what they
need to bring.”
The Foreign Ministry in Islamabad had rightly
termed the story as “speculative, mischievous and baseless. “Pakistan is a
responsible nuclear weapon state with robust command and control structures and
comprehensive export controls,” the Pakistan Foreign Ministry had said at that
time, a statement which should put minds at rest.
The political opportunism aside, there is
absolutely no chance that Pakistan’s tight control over its nuclear weapons
would be compromised. Officials are 100 percent confident that fissile material
cannot fall into wrong hands as proper procedures and technologies to safeguard
them are in place. They are convinced about the strong physical security
capabilities – the most advanced, sophisticated and fool-proof in all respects
— for nuclear installations and fissile material. The country has taken several
measures to safeguard the nuclear components dispersed throughout the country.
The location of such components is only known to concerned people. Pakistan has
spent a considerable amount on this account.
Given
Islamabad’s focus on non-proliferation, it is an erroneous belief that Pakistan
would help Saudi Arabia or any other country to help them to acquire nuclear
weapons or provide any sort of nuclear umbrella. The nuclear weapons are there
to provide security to Pakistan and Pakistan only. Any claim otherwise is a dishonest
analysis and an exercise in misinformation.
