nuclear weapons that could reach every part of the Indian territory; having enough yield and numbers to deter rival from its policy of massive retaliation; and having liberty of picking targets including counter-value, counter-force and battlefield.
Speaking about Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities, Kidwai said, the country is self-reliant in nuclear field, but its programme is not the fastest growing in the world. “There are no aggressive overtones to our capability; the over-arching policy is Full Spectrum Deterrence, but within the larger philosophy of Credible Minimum Deterrence. Pakistan will maintain peace and security in South Asia with adequate level of armaments at all tiers: strategic, operational and tactical,” he maintained.
The NCA adviser renewed the call for resolution of disputes in the region saying unless that is done, the region would remain in flux alternating between “strategic stability and instability.” Fragile peace in the meantime, he believed, would be maintained through defense and deterrence postures. Emphasizing that Pakistan made the right choices while tackling the threats to its security, he said, “Pakistan will find itself on the right side of the history; the coming decades are likely to validate this.”
Team Leader IISS Desmond Bowen spoke about the difference in understanding of deterrence in West and South Asia. He also underlined the risks associated with the nuclear capability. “Security of Pakistan is a sovereign responsibility and so is the calculation of risk in these matters. How manageable are those risks now, but above all in times of crises,” he said. Bowen questioned the existence of political will in South Asia for stability.
Executive Director of CISS Sarwar Naqvi gave an overview of regional trends. He observed that Pakistan was deeply skeptical of President Trump’s South Asia policy. Meanwhile, in relations with India, he noted, the stalemate was persisting.
Naqvi expressed his concerns about nuclear politics rhetoric and the introduction of technologically advanced and sophisticated nuclear weapons. He said, these developments and India’s inclusion in MTCR could disturb the strategic balance in the region and trigger an arms competition in the Indian Ocean region.