Chief Justice of Pakistan Threatened by Pakistani Taliban, TTP

The Taliban have threatened Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry of “dire consequences” if he does not accept the appeal of their activists convicted of attacking former president General Pervez Musharraf, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) activists were sentenced to death by the Lahore High Court in the Musharraf attack case.

Read more...

Licences of 35 security companies revoked

On Tuesday, the Punjab government revoked operational privileges for 35 private security agencies that failed to provide data on their board of directors, a summary of security guards, clients, sanctioned quota of weapons, security gadgets and a record of training imparted to staff.

Following escalating accounts of robberies in the cities and reports on several heists involving security guards, the Home Department had issued guidelines to all registered and unregistered security agencies to provide these details regarding the company.

Continue reading Licences of 35 security companies revoked

Pakistan’s Nuclear Requirements

Why is Pakistan building so many nuclear weapons and blocking the start of fissile material cutoff negotiations? There are many reasons. One is that Pakistani military officers who establish nuclear requirements read what Indians have to say. They have read Kautilya, the Indian version of Machiavelli, who wrote Arthasastra around 300 BCE. Great shoebox quotes: “Agreements of peace shall be made with equal and superior kings; an inferior king shall be attacked.” And “Whoever goes to wage war with a superior king will be reduced to the same condition as that of a foot soldier opposing an elephant.”

Read more...

Protests mount against Indian nuclear plant

Protests mount against Indian nuclear plant

SAKHRI NATE, INDIA: In the busy Indian fishing village of Sakhri Nate, it’s obvious what the locals think of the plan to build the world’s biggest nuclear power plant just across the creek.

“Say No To Nuclear Power. We Don’t Want To Get Sick,” reads one slogan in Hindi on the side of a tarpaulin-covered shack selling sweet tea and sugary snacks.

Chalked on a wall around the corner is a message for the French company that has signed a $9.3-billion deal to supply the plant’s first state-of-the-art pressurised water reactors.

Read more...

The Numbers Game

An article in the Washington Post discusses Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal (a popular subject!) and makes the startling disclosure that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal has doubled and that its delivery system has improved vastly. Predictably there is no comment or denial from Pakistan because none is needed. Indeed if that is what people want to believe then so be it. Some in Pakistan have swallowed the bait hook, line and sinker and started commenting and criticizing this increase going on in difficult economic times without pausing to consider the veracity of the report by a foreign correspondent.

Pakistan does not publicly discuss its nuclear program disclosing only what is absolutely necessary for reassurance about its command and control and custodial security. A little research can however turn up enough to indicate that Pakistan will not carry out further nuclear tests, that it’s stance on ‘no first use’ is based on clearly stated ‘red lines’ and India’s policies on limited war and cold start operations exploiting conventional force superiority and that Pakistan is for minimum credible deterrence against the threat from India. Pakistan does not have an aggressive use of force strategy involving nuclear weapons. It is no secret that Pakistan and India have ongoing enrichment programs and are engaged in constant improvement of delivery systems. India has gained an enormous advantage with the Indo-US Nuclear agreement that gives it access to fuel while a number of weapon oriented reactors remain outside safeguards. At current rates India is expected to have over 280 nuclear weapons by 2020. Pakistan has suggested a ‘strategic restraint regime’ but India brings in the trilateral factor by stating that it is threatened by China. Pakistan is willing to discuss restraint even in a trilateral context. India is also moving towards SLBM’s and is not a status quo state as far as introduction of new technology and systems is concerned. Isolating Pakistan for doing something that is ongoing in India and other countries is therefore part of a larger Pakistan specific design.

Pakistan is placed in the dock for its opposition to the FMCT (Fissile Material Cut Off Treaty). Pakistan is for a more comprehensive FMT (Fissile Missile Treaty) that takes into account existing stockpiles but because of verification issues India and others oppose this. The Indo-US agreement giving India a vastly improved capacity for increasing stockpiles drives the Pakistani stance on FMCT---a stance that India favored till it got this advantage through the discriminatory agreement from the US. Pakistan’s quest for energy through nuclear reactors from China contracted earlier and therefore outside NSG procedures is being repeatedly opposed by India acting as the ‘front man’ for the US. There is no discussion of the enormous boost to nuclear trade that has resulted as a spin-off from the Indo-US Agreement and the contractual arrangements being made by India with a number of countries. Surprisingly with all asymmetric balance in its favor India is still insecure and feels threatened by Pakistan’s comparatively modest requirements. The terror threat to Pakistani nukes and thence to India and the US is regularly invoked as a mantra especially in the wake of the high profile assassination in Pakistan that is being used by India and by the US to stoke fears of terrorist or extremist inroads into the security apparatus for strategic assets. The US should be aware of the custodial controls in place but India’s motive is to bring into question the civil-military relations in Pakistan by insisting that there should be civilian control—something that will come but at a pace to be determined by Pakistan and not India. The other whip used is the past proliferation episode that is repeatedly floated with new ‘discoveries’—even though it is a dead issue for Pakistan. Pakistan has made it clear that it is supportive of all non-proliferation regimes as long as they are non-discriminatory.

Pakistanis who are deep into military and intelligence bashing because their new found freedom to do so gives them a good macho feel should seriously consider whose interest they are serving. Constructive criticism certainly helps and should go on but doing what others want us to do will be counter- productive. A deeper insight into Pakistan’s future security policy is required especially by those who want Pakistan to roll over and play dead just because it is in a transitional phase and has vulnerabilities that are being ruthlessly exploited by others.

By Ghalib Sultan

Pakistan calls its nuke arms expansion claim "unnecessary alarmist reporting"

Islamabad, Feb 2(ANI): Pakistan has dismissed as "unnecessary alarmist reporting" that it has steadily expanded its nuclear arsenal, and the number of its deployed weapons now ranges from the mid-90s to over 110.
Responding to reports that Pakistan was increasing its nuclear stockpiles, the Foreign Office said it would continue to follow a responsible policy of maintaining credible minimum deterrence.
"Pakistan is mindful of the need to avoid arms race with India but would never compromise on its national security," The Express Tribune quoted a Foreign Office spokesman, as saying, while responding to an article in The New York Times titled "Pakistani Nuclear Arms Pose Challenge to US Policy."
The Washington Post had also reported that according to estimates by nongovernmental analysts, Pakistan had significantly accelerated the production of uranium and plutonium for bombs and developed new weapons to deliver them.
It also said that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal had "now edged ahead of India, its nuclear-armed rival."
However, a statement by Pakistan's Foreign Office said: "In the nuclearized environment of South Asia, Pakistan continues to attach importance to ensuring peace, security and stability in South Asia and was mindful of the adverse implications of 'selectivity and exceptionalism in evidence on issues of nuclear non-proliferation'."
It also said Pakistan had consistently advocated the need to resume the stalled Pakistan-India dialogue, including talks on issues of peace and security.
"In this context, Pakistan's proposal for strategic restraint regime in South Asia, including nuclear and conventional forces as well as resolution of all issues and disputes, is of extreme importance," the statement added. (ANI)