Aarush
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i am not sure whether its a right section..or not..
It was quite refreshing to hear the man who “conceived and articulated” Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, talk so freely and honestly about the current status of the program and its possible future.
The man I am referring to is of course the now retired, Lieutenant-General Khalid Kidwai. Speaking to an audience of over 800 nuclear experts from around the world at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace 2015 International Nuclear Policy Conference in Washington DC, two weeks ago, the General made very clear that Pakistan’s nuclear program was aimed at ensuring security and stability in the region, and was entirely in response to India’s 1974 nuclear detonation.
Unlike India, Pakistan was compelled to develop its nuclear weapons program out of concerns for the future security of the country.
General Kidwai spoke without hesitation, he said, the complexities of the current global environment have created a “conflict ridden world,” and there seems to be a revival of the cold war in this new multipolar world.
In South Asia, he said, there is a need for strong socio-economic development for peace to exist. General Kidwai referred to this as “the obvious,” to which he said, South Asia remains oblivious to.
Before we can talk of peace, there is a need to focus on improving the economy, education, health, and other social sectors; these he said were the prerequisites for an enabling environment, which would aid in starting the peace process in South Asia.
In not so many words, the General pointed out the fact that each time Pakistan has made an attempt at normalizing ties with India, the Indians have responded by violating the ceasefire agreement on the line of control in Kashmir. The General raised a couple of very important questions, how can we unshackle ourselves from the past? If we are not able to enjoy extended periods of peace, how can we develop our economies? He aptly responded to the questions he posed, he said it is “common sense” that conflicts need to be resolved, and leaders in the region need to “rise to the highest levels of statesmanship,” and recognize “the obvious.”
“There is no running away from the stark reality – conflict management, leading to conflict resolution” is required, he said. “It is not revisionism. It is common sense. It is common interest. It is self interest.”
The General warned that if leaders in South Asia do not wake up to this reality now, then we will continue living like we have for the past 68 years, for another 68 years, “condemning our 1.5 billion people in perpetuity to hunger, filth and squalor.”
This is the time, the General reiterated; both India and Pakistan have democratically elected leaderships with a strong mandate for peace. Pakistan and India have made war “as an instrument of policy near-redundant.”
General Kidwai referred to President Clinton’s “vision thing”, and urged leaderships in India and Pakistan to clench this opportunity for a chance at lasting peace and stability in the region. “This just might be the historic opportunity of a lifetime waiting for the two leaderships to grasp.” He said, “No zero-sum games. No one-upmanship. History and circumstances beckon.”
There is no space for conflicts, no matter how limited, in a “nuclearized South Asia.” Leaders in India and Pakistan need to show guts, vision, like that of Nixon and Chou En Lai, and Anwar Saadat and Menachim Begin.
India behaved “naively,” thinking that there was space for a limited conflict, and they proved it by introducing the Cold Start Doctrine, which meant rapid mobilization of Indian troops into Pakistani territory. Along with the introduction of the Cold Start Doctrine, India had developed the Parhaar missile, a tactical nuclear weapon with a range of 150km, meant to provide cover for an invading Indian army. As a response Pakistan was forced to develop short-range battlefield ready nuclear weapons, also “dubbed tactical nuclear weapons.”
“This was Pakistan’s defensive deterrence response to an offensive Indian doctrine.” The General was honest and blunt; he made his intentions for creating an enabling peaceful environment clear. General Kidwai said India’s attempt to do “one better on the escalatory rung,” the Indian’s called for “massive retaliation” against Pakistan, “without thinking through the consequences in a nuclear parity situation.” He said, it is time India gets real.
Referring to his 15 years spent as the Director-General, Special Plans Division, the General said he worked very hard with the help of his colleagues “to prevent war, deter aggression, and thereby for peace, howsoever uneasy to prevail.”
The General highlighted the current military stalemate between India and Pakistan, and urged friends in the West to help Pakistan and India achieve peace. The General said that the West should take an even-handed non-discriminatory approach to South Asia, and that one-sided and discriminatory overtures risk aggravating the delicate strategic balance in the region, indicating that American support for India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and their exemption from the same group “are proving to be counter-productive, and will never be acceptable to Pakistan, and will in no way contribute to peace and stability” in South Asia.
Before concluding, General Kidwai once again, whole-heartedly called on leaderships in India, Pakistan, and the West to promote peace in South Asia, warning friends in the West that they should “desist from taking short sighted measures today that would be regretted later.”
General Kidwai ended his frank conversation by assuring the international community that even in this troubling environment, Pakistan’s nuclear assets were well guarded and safe. He said, you have all your national technical means of verifying this to be true, “but you might also take my solemn word for it.”
It was such a pleasure to hear General Khalid Kidwai speak so openly and freely about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. The General was genuine in calling for peace in South Asia, and did not hesitate to discuss any part of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program.
The political leaderships in India and Pakistan must realize that it is to engage in a sincere peaceful dialogue. Being the larger of the two nations, the responsibility essentially falls on the Indian leadership to engage Pakistan in dialogue and work towards resolving all outstanding disputes, in hopes of achieving lasting peace.
An Honest Conversation About Pakistan's Nukes - OpEd - Eurasia Review
It was quite refreshing to hear the man who “conceived and articulated” Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, talk so freely and honestly about the current status of the program and its possible future.
The man I am referring to is of course the now retired, Lieutenant-General Khalid Kidwai. Speaking to an audience of over 800 nuclear experts from around the world at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace 2015 International Nuclear Policy Conference in Washington DC, two weeks ago, the General made very clear that Pakistan’s nuclear program was aimed at ensuring security and stability in the region, and was entirely in response to India’s 1974 nuclear detonation.
Unlike India, Pakistan was compelled to develop its nuclear weapons program out of concerns for the future security of the country.
General Kidwai spoke without hesitation, he said, the complexities of the current global environment have created a “conflict ridden world,” and there seems to be a revival of the cold war in this new multipolar world.
In South Asia, he said, there is a need for strong socio-economic development for peace to exist. General Kidwai referred to this as “the obvious,” to which he said, South Asia remains oblivious to.
Before we can talk of peace, there is a need to focus on improving the economy, education, health, and other social sectors; these he said were the prerequisites for an enabling environment, which would aid in starting the peace process in South Asia.
In not so many words, the General pointed out the fact that each time Pakistan has made an attempt at normalizing ties with India, the Indians have responded by violating the ceasefire agreement on the line of control in Kashmir. The General raised a couple of very important questions, how can we unshackle ourselves from the past? If we are not able to enjoy extended periods of peace, how can we develop our economies? He aptly responded to the questions he posed, he said it is “common sense” that conflicts need to be resolved, and leaders in the region need to “rise to the highest levels of statesmanship,” and recognize “the obvious.”
“There is no running away from the stark reality – conflict management, leading to conflict resolution” is required, he said. “It is not revisionism. It is common sense. It is common interest. It is self interest.”
The General warned that if leaders in South Asia do not wake up to this reality now, then we will continue living like we have for the past 68 years, for another 68 years, “condemning our 1.5 billion people in perpetuity to hunger, filth and squalor.”
This is the time, the General reiterated; both India and Pakistan have democratically elected leaderships with a strong mandate for peace. Pakistan and India have made war “as an instrument of policy near-redundant.”
General Kidwai referred to President Clinton’s “vision thing”, and urged leaderships in India and Pakistan to clench this opportunity for a chance at lasting peace and stability in the region. “This just might be the historic opportunity of a lifetime waiting for the two leaderships to grasp.” He said, “No zero-sum games. No one-upmanship. History and circumstances beckon.”
There is no space for conflicts, no matter how limited, in a “nuclearized South Asia.” Leaders in India and Pakistan need to show guts, vision, like that of Nixon and Chou En Lai, and Anwar Saadat and Menachim Begin.
India behaved “naively,” thinking that there was space for a limited conflict, and they proved it by introducing the Cold Start Doctrine, which meant rapid mobilization of Indian troops into Pakistani territory. Along with the introduction of the Cold Start Doctrine, India had developed the Parhaar missile, a tactical nuclear weapon with a range of 150km, meant to provide cover for an invading Indian army. As a response Pakistan was forced to develop short-range battlefield ready nuclear weapons, also “dubbed tactical nuclear weapons.”
“This was Pakistan’s defensive deterrence response to an offensive Indian doctrine.” The General was honest and blunt; he made his intentions for creating an enabling peaceful environment clear. General Kidwai said India’s attempt to do “one better on the escalatory rung,” the Indian’s called for “massive retaliation” against Pakistan, “without thinking through the consequences in a nuclear parity situation.” He said, it is time India gets real.
Referring to his 15 years spent as the Director-General, Special Plans Division, the General said he worked very hard with the help of his colleagues “to prevent war, deter aggression, and thereby for peace, howsoever uneasy to prevail.”
The General highlighted the current military stalemate between India and Pakistan, and urged friends in the West to help Pakistan and India achieve peace. The General said that the West should take an even-handed non-discriminatory approach to South Asia, and that one-sided and discriminatory overtures risk aggravating the delicate strategic balance in the region, indicating that American support for India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and their exemption from the same group “are proving to be counter-productive, and will never be acceptable to Pakistan, and will in no way contribute to peace and stability” in South Asia.
Before concluding, General Kidwai once again, whole-heartedly called on leaderships in India, Pakistan, and the West to promote peace in South Asia, warning friends in the West that they should “desist from taking short sighted measures today that would be regretted later.”
General Kidwai ended his frank conversation by assuring the international community that even in this troubling environment, Pakistan’s nuclear assets were well guarded and safe. He said, you have all your national technical means of verifying this to be true, “but you might also take my solemn word for it.”
It was such a pleasure to hear General Khalid Kidwai speak so openly and freely about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. The General was genuine in calling for peace in South Asia, and did not hesitate to discuss any part of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program.
The political leaderships in India and Pakistan must realize that it is to engage in a sincere peaceful dialogue. Being the larger of the two nations, the responsibility essentially falls on the Indian leadership to engage Pakistan in dialogue and work towards resolving all outstanding disputes, in hopes of achieving lasting peace.
An Honest Conversation About Pakistan's Nukes - OpEd - Eurasia Review
