Nuclear capability essential to maintain deterrence: Gen. Tariq
Pakistan
Nuclear capability essential to maintain deterrence: Gen. Tariq
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Tariq Majid on Thursday said the world must realize the daunting internal and external challenge that Pakistan faces, are largely intertwined and it is in vortex not by choice, but because of regional and international circumstances which in many ways are beyond its control. Addressing the convocation at National Defence University (NDU), he said Our future counter insurgency actions have to keep in perspective the larger strategic picture, especially the unfolding of events in Afghanistan and sustainability of domestic support for our counter insurgency strategy in an environment of possibly increased reactive violence and a fragile economy. He stressed we have to be mindful of the blatant pursuit of military preponderance in our neighborhood. Growing power imbalance due to continuing build up of massive military machine, including both hi tech conventional and nuclear forces, adoption of dangerous cold start doctrine and proactive strategy, more assertive posturing especially after very exceptional civil nuclear deal and notions of two front war are all destabilizing trends, carrying implications for Pakistans security. Therefore, retention of essential nuclear capability to maintain credible minimum deterrence against any possible aggression is our compulsion and not a matter of choice. He further said, as a responsible nuclear weapon state and despite being a non NPT country, Pakistan has always supported the non proliferation efforts, and our position on disarmament issues has remained consistent and pragmatic. We however, demand our rightful place as a nuclear weapon state and reject discriminatory policies.While speaking about Fissile Material Treaty ( FMT ) discussions, he said that FMT is only Pakistan specific which is unacceptable to us. Countries of the world need to be sensitive to our security concerns rather than attempting in vain to browbeat us or riding roughshod over our concerns. General Tariq also expressed his views on recurring concern on safety and security of Pakistan s nuclear weapons and materials and said that nuclear security within a state is a national responsibility that we are shouldering with utmost vigilance and assurance. We have put in place a very robust regime that includes multilayered mechanisms and processes to secure our strategic assets, and have provided maximum transparency on our practices. We have reassured the international community on this issue over and over again and our track record since the time our nuclear program was made overt has been unblemished. We therefore, consider security to be a non issue, and strongly suggest that it is time to move beyond this issue. The world must accept our nuclear reality, and stop unwarranted insinuations to create alarms and deny us the related benefits. While addressing the graduates General Tariq said that as future leaders and policy makers they have an obligation to carry with them the lessons learnt at National Defence University and act in supreme national interest without fear or favour. He said that in todays world the standing of a country is measured by its political and economic strengths, the state of development of its human resource, and the management skills of the senior leadership. The need of the moment is to promote a culture of tolerance, stabilise the democratic dispensation with an effective governance system, and develop a viable economic order by making optimum utilization of all our national resources. Congratulating the graduates comprising armed forces officers, civil bureaucrats of Pakistan and senior officers from friendly countries on successful completion of the course, General Tariq expressed hope that the enhanced knowledge, competence, capacity for analysis and decision making would make them an asset for their nation. Earlier on arrival at NDU, Chairman JCSC was received by Lieutenant General Muhammad Yousaf, President NDU.
