CHAIRMAN Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) General Nadeem Raza on Monday rightly pointed out that Pakistan’s nuclear programme enjoys across-the-board support of all political parties adding civil and military leadership stands like an iron wall with the country’s strategic programme.
In his comments during a keynote address delivered at a seminar on “Regional Environment and Imperatives of Security” at the NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) in Islamabad, he also sensitized all against expressing “unnecessary and unfounded views” on the nuclear programme.
General Raza, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the National Command Authority (NCA), spoke at length on important aspects of the programme, which are highly relevant to local and global audience.
Pakistan always faced nuclear apartheid and remained victim of incessant malicious propaganda but the foreign pressure is not as potent as it was before because, with the passage of time, the international community, especially IAEA and member of the so-called nuclear club, have realized that Pakistan’s programme was more secured than those of the technologically advanced countries.
In fact, national consensus on rational, evolution and development of the nuclear programme served as an effective shield against foreign propaganda and pressure on the issue.
Pakistan was able to convey a firm message that it cannot and will not roll back or scale back its nuclear programme as it is guarantor of national security and survival.
Pakistan has a robust command and control system and that is why speculations spread by some officials and media in the West about possibility of the country’s nuclear technology or assets falling into the hands of terrorists or Taliban proved worthless.
General Nadeem Raza understandably made no pointed references but his remarks about “unnecessary and unfound” were in reference to recent uncalled-for remarks made by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
To propagate a theory that the country’s nuclear capability would be in danger if a particular personality was not at the helm of affairs is nothing but a self-deception as the programme remained in safe hands irrespective of who is in power.
Politicians should avoid the tendency of using national causes to get political mileage.
