Pakistan’s Nuclear Security: a Growing Challenge

Abstract

Pursuant to longstanding rivalry with India and in order to demonstrate its deterrent power against that country, Pakistan carried out its first nuclear test on November 28, 1998, thus becoming a nuclear-weapon state. Although nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan elicited negative reactions from big powers at that time, but those reactions were limited to minor sanctions. Despite its concern, the United States did not care much about Pakistan before 9/11. However, the terrorist attacks, whose perpetrators were based in Afghanistan and had close ties to ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence agency), greatly startled the American government. On the other hand, empowerment of radical Islamist forces in Pakistan and escalation of domestic crisis in that country further alarmed the west and made security of Pakistan’s nuclear facilities a major preoccupation for west. The United States is currently trying to shore up Pakistan’s President Parvez Musharraf and help him to establish necessary protective systems to ensure security of that country’s nuclear installations. At the same time, the possibility of direct intervention in Pakistan in case of possible overthrow of Musharraf has not been overruled.

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