Pakistan sees nuclear weapons only as deterrence tool to prevent actual wars

RAWALPINDI – Pakistan has ruled out the possibility of using its nuclear weapons and sees them as more of deterrence tool to prevent actual wars, the head of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in an interview yesterday.

The remarks come after tensions escalated between Pakistan and India over the past weeks arousing concerns that the two nuclear powers may in fact be on the brink of war.

“Since we have gone overtly nuclear, as India also, in 1998, our stance is that this capability eliminates the possibility of conventional war between the two states. So that is to say, this is a weapon of deterrence and a political choice. No sane country having this capability would talk about using it," Major General Asif Ghafoor told Sputnik.

The military spokesman noted that even though the protection of the country was of the utmost importance, it would be "insane" to discuss the use of nuclear weapons. He also pointed out Pakistan's will to takes steps towards non-proliferation of nuclear arms - but only if India does the same.

"Pakistan will undertake anything which is based on equality. You cannot tie the hands of Pakistan and keep India open. Anything that happens should happen for both countries," Ghafoor said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated last month, after the Pakistani military shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir, responding to an earlier airstrike by Indian jets against what New Delhi said was a camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad group, considered terrorists by India and located on the Pakistani soil across the so-called Line of Control, separating India- and Pakistan- controlled areas of Kashmir.

The Indian airstrike came after a deadly attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad on the Indian paramilitary police force in Kashmir in mid-February. While India has accused Pakistan of supporting the militants and having a "direct hand" in the incident, Pakistan, in turn, has rejected the allegations.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) 2018 report, Pakistan's stockpile amounts to 140-150 nuclear warheads, while India possesses some 130-140 warheads.