Pakistan’s application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which it formally submitted last week in Vienna, has been acknowledged by the US and will come under consideration in the next month’s meeting of 48 members group in Seoul. India has already applied for the membership and has a favorable stance from the US and other members of the group. A statement issued by Islamabad read, “The decision to seek participation in the export control regime reflects Pakistan’s strong support for international efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.” While Pakistani authorities might be sincere in joining the group, which aims to curb the spread of the nuclear weapons; terrorism and the presence of non-state actors including some of the high-profile terrorists in the country do not bide well with the country’s image in the international sphere. The group will consider the application for induction into the group in next meeting, and Pakistan’s selection hinges upon a consensus among the member states.
While it is ironical that the NSG was formed as a result of Indian nuclear tests in 1974, the favorable stance from the US and other members shows that how far India has come in the nuclear safety paradigm. Furthermore, it might help India get recognition as a nuclear power. Pakistan, on the other hand, continues to see a self-imposed existential threat in India, which has led to exorbitant defense spending, leaving country’s economy in doldrums. Pakistan has latched on to the opposition by a US Senator against India’s entry into the NSG, who claimed that this would infuriate Pakistan into a never-ending arms race. Pakistan has maintained that it wants to avoid such a situation and has presented it as the primary reason for its application to the NSG. But the stance from the State Department appears to favor India who has refuted the claims and stated that it’s not about an arms race and nuclear weapons. It is about the peaceful civil use of nuclear energy, and Pakistan should understand that.
It’s about time Pakistan learns that uselessness of continuous spending on the nuclear arms race. Nuclear Arms race has further harmed the country as it led to economic sanctions from the international community, severely impacting its economic growth. Furthermore, Pakistan’s continuous support to the non-state actors in its neighboring countries has not helped its cause in international arena either. Instead, it should focus on other aspects including its economy, higher education, climate change, etc. The country is in desperate need of spending on its economy and social sectors instead of the white elephant in the form of a nuclear arsenal. While the economic situation in India is not rosy either, it does have enough resources to spend on its arsenal. India’s condition of economic as well as other social sectors is significantly better than that of Pakistan. Recently, in QS higher-education rankings, India scored 24 points higher than that of Pakistan who came in last among the 50 countries surveyed. Pakistan needs to focus on health, education, climate change, and other economic issues rather than mindlessly spending on the procurement of weapons.*