'Pak developed short-range nuclear weapons to counter 'Cold Start' doctrine'

New York: Pakistan has developed short-range nuclear weapons to counter the ‘Cold Start’ doctrine of the Indian Army, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said today.

On his maiden visit to the US as Pakistan prime minister, Abbasi also said that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal was safe and secure. On the assertion that Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal in the world, Abbasi said: “As far as tactical nuclear weapons (are concerned), we do not have any field tactical nuclear weapons.”

“We have developed short-range nuclear weapons as a counter to the Cold Start doctrine that India has developed. Again, those are in the same command-and-control authority that controls the other strategic weapons,” Abbasi said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think-tank.

‘Cold Start doctrine’ was developed by the Indian Army for a possible war with Pakistan. This doctrine involves various branches of the Army conducting offensive operations as part of unified battle groups. The doctrine intends to allow India’s conventional forces to perform holding attacks to prevent nuclear retaliation from Pakistan in case of a conflict.

“We have a very robust and secure command-and-control system over our strategic nuclear assets. Time has proved that it’s a process that is very secure. It’s a process that has complete civilian oversight through the NCA,” Abbasi said.

The Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) of Pakistan is responsible for command, control and operational decisions regarding the country’s nuclear arsenals. Abbasi said that the command-and-control systems they have in place are as secure as anybody else’s in the world.

“The last 20 years are testament to that,” Abbasi said in response to another question. “So let there be no doubt that any extremist element or somebody like that can gain control of fissile material or a nuclear weapon. There is just no possibility of that. And it’s time-tested, and it’s a very secure system that has been put in place,” he said.

“Pakistan is a responsible global citizen, and we’ve shown a responsibility on the ground with this huge war on terror that we’ve been fighting for the last 15 years,” Abbasi said. The Pakistan premier sought to dispel the notion surrounding the country’s inability to handle its nuclear programmes properly.

“We do have nuclear capability. There’s no doubt about that. And we know how to handle nuclear waste. We had a nuclear programme in the early ’60s, one of the first countries in Asia to have a nuclear programme. So if we’ve managed it for over 50-odd years, I think we can continue to manage it,” he said.