ISLAMABAD - Experts say that after having successfully safeguarded Pakistan against the Indian threat through the development of a nuclear deterrent, the focus of the nuclear programme now lies on harnessing the peaceful potential of nuclear energy.
They were speaking at an event hosted by the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) Islamabad in connection with the 25th anniversary of 1998 nuclear tests.
Amb Ali Sarwar Naqvi, executive director CISS, said that 25 years after the nuclear tests Pakistan has kept pace with India as deterrence has held, and Pakistan is in a position to revert back to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He reminded that despite the fact that India had conducted nuclear tests in 1974, Pakistan practiced restraint till 1998.
Talking about the South Asian strategic environment and nuclear tests in 1998, Prof Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal said that there was a disconnect between regional and international strategic environment where, the Indian domestic influence regarding Indian nuclear tests cannot be ignored.
He said that even today, Pakistan is a reluctant nuclear weapon state which practices restraint and is not interested in nuclear arms race. Due to technological advances, Pakistan should also focus on non-nuclear strategic weapons. He stated that negotiations of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) took place with the main aim to stop both Pakistan and India from testing nuclear weapons and becoming part of the exclusive nuclear weapons state club.