Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Testing May 1998 External and Internal Pressures
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IPRI Journal XII, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 28-45
Zafar Khan
P AKISTAN ’ S N UCLEAR W EAPONS T ESTING M AY 1998: E XTERNAL AND I NTERNAL P RESSURES
Zafar Khan∗
Abstract This article attempts to find out why it became imperative for Pakistan to acquire nuclear weapons despite external and internal pressures. It examines the significance of Pakistan’s nuclear weapon tests in May 1998 in the backdrop of India’s initiative. It identifies the factors that helped the proponents of Pakistan’s nuclear weapon tests, which this writer calls Pakistan’s security epistemic community (SEC), to succeed against the external and internal opponents of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence and outweigh their case for Pakistan maintaining a non-nuclear stance.
Keywords: Nuclear Weapons, External & Internal Pressure, Security Epistemic Community, Proponents & Dissenters.
Introduction
akistan has always considered itself to be an insecure state since its inception in 1947. The country’s military build-up in its earlier stages was in response to the demands of state security and territorial integrity. Besides strengthening its conventional forces, Pakistan also formed military alliances with the US to bolster its security in the South Asian region. Pakistan regarded these alliances (SEATO & CENTO 1954-55) as a “security guarantee” against India. However, the defence treaties failed to provide the kind of security guarantee the country expected from them when confronted with military challenge from India, though they provided substantial economic and military benefits in the 1950s and 1960s. Pakistan’s security leadership therefore sought a more dependable defence arrangement that could ensure the country’s security. This arrangement presented itself in the shape of the nuclear option. Although Pakistan had been developing nuclear facilities for peaceful purposes since the 1950s, the idea of acquiring nuclear weapons which had been there and evolving since the 1960s took a policy...
IPRI Journal XII, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 28-45
Zafar Khan
P AKISTAN ’ S N UCLEAR W EAPONS T ESTING M AY 1998: E XTERNAL AND I NTERNAL P RESSURES
Zafar Khan∗
Abstract This article attempts to find out why it became imperative for Pakistan to acquire nuclear weapons despite external and internal pressures. It examines the significance of Pakistan’s nuclear weapon tests in May 1998 in the backdrop of India’s initiative. It identifies the factors that helped the proponents of Pakistan’s nuclear weapon tests, which this writer calls Pakistan’s security epistemic community (SEC), to succeed against the external and internal opponents of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence and outweigh their case for Pakistan maintaining a non-nuclear stance.
Keywords: Nuclear Weapons, External & Internal Pressure, Security Epistemic Community, Proponents & Dissenters.
Introduction
akistan has always considered itself to be an insecure state since its inception in 1947. The country’s military build-up in its earlier stages was in response to the demands of state security and territorial integrity. Besides strengthening its conventional forces, Pakistan also formed military alliances with the US to bolster its security in the South Asian region. Pakistan regarded these alliances (SEATO & CENTO 1954-55) as a “security guarantee” against India. However, the defence treaties failed to provide the kind of security guarantee the country expected from them when confronted with military challenge from India, though they provided substantial economic and military benefits in the 1950s and 1960s. Pakistan’s security leadership therefore sought a more dependable defence arrangement that could ensure the country’s security. This arrangement presented itself in the shape of the nuclear option. Although Pakistan had been developing nuclear facilities for peaceful purposes since the 1950s, the idea of acquiring nuclear weapons which had been there and evolving since the 1960s took a policy...