Daily Times

Over the past one year especially and from two and half years in general our serious national issues are now prime target of flagrant and comical statements. But it was never expected that our nuclear program and doctrine which is the most crucial part of our security and strategic apparatus will be discussed through such mirthful statements.

I am talking about that tweet in which foreign office spokesman have explained that PM’s statements on Pakistan’s nuclear policy are being reported out of context. He explained that war shouldn’t be option between Pakistan and India but Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine is not changed.

We must know what’s Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine which is not changed according to spokesperson and why foreign office is in panic to give clarifications on PM’s statements about nuclear deterrence. PM’s statement was headline of all papers that in case of Indo-Pak conflict we are not going to use nuclear weapons first. As we know from years, India’s declared nuclear doctrine in case of conflict with Pakistan is not to strike first with nuclear bomb. Pakistan also have declared nuclear doctrine from years that we have established certain levels of national forbearance. one is internal level. If India will cross that level(attack in Pakistani territory and its installations or buildings with conventional or unconventional force or crossing of international border with conventional force) then we can use nuclear weapon. We have our economic threshold too: if India will stop or divert our river water or in case of naval blockade then we can also use nuclear bomb. These few points are considered our declared “nuclear doctrine”. Now according to PM’s statement it seems this old doctrine has been changed with “not to strike first” nuclear doctrine.

It was never a big deal if IK’s few days’ earlier statements wouldn’t be different from these recent statements. In his earlier statements he said if India will cross the limit and if this conflict will not be properly managed by the world then there’s no guarantee of anything and nobody knows about the endgame. It means we are informing the world that in this region a nuclear conflict may happen anytime if India was not stopped by the world to annex Kashmir through abrogation of its constitutional clauses about special status of Kashmir. On every forum PM is talking about nuclear war between two countries like someone is talking about a toy to play or we are talking about a 3D movie of any digital universe. He’s talking about nuclear war like his corruption slogan in days of dharna.

So few days back we were listening from our PM this all will not end here and world must know that India has underestimated our capacity for resolve and Modi regime will have to pay the price and whole region can face a catastrophe if international players will not intervene. in fact he took another U turn through statement of “not to strike first with nuclear bomb”.

Before Indian nuclear tests in 1998 it was state’s unannounced policy that we have nukes and enemy must know this fact. we don’t have any interest to display them before world and through this policy we were quite capable to convey the message to our enemy that we have nuclear deterrence and if it will not work and conflict is unavoidable then we will not hesitate to use it. According to this doctrine, if we will talk about our nuclear capability time and again then world’s attention may shift from real issue of Kashmir to our nukes. Already world doesn’t like our nuclear program so big players will try to dispute and disrupt our program.

Now it’s the dilemma of our country that no issue is exclusively in hands of serious minds. Everyone can speak on any topic without any knowledge and every matter now can be used for political purpose

But after nuclear tests by India everything changed within no time. We had shown our nuclear capability and weapons to the world along with delivery system. Despite all this show off at that critical juncture, our nuclear capability or resolve were never discussed on political theatres. Our nuclear deterrence was never mentioned in every statement or tweet. A single statement verbalized on nuclear issue had to go through a thought process and only objective was to convey proper message on diplomatic and strategic fronts. Vocalization on this issue was strictly banned.

And now we are in a situation where our PM is giving and changing his statements everyday on this very sensitive issue and foreign office spokesman is constantly on job to put clarifications on his statements. Though it was more appropriate for Dr Faisal to inform us that which statement of PM published out of context and in fact what he said.

In fact, now it’s the dilemma of our country that no issue is exclusively in hands of serious minds. Everyone can speak on any topic without any knowledge and every matter now can be used for political purpose.

Pity this nation, now minister railways sheikh Rashid will inform the world about our nuclear doctrine. According to him Pakistan have 250 g and 125g nukes along with capability of one inch to two inches installations.

Any debate and to this level is never been witnessed in any other country of this planet. We are successfully proving ourselves a very different and unique country on earth. But no big issue for sheikh Rashid for such childish statements as he has good contacts in power corridors. A country where people like Sheikh Rashid will discuss nuclear doctrines and use of nukes and PM will give statements against declared nuclear doctrine and foreign office’s spokesperson will have to clarify his statements on regular basis then only one sentence comes in mind” Good Lord help us”.

The writer is political Islam expert,researcher,teacher and a freelance journalist